Outcompeting Cancer

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2020 Jan 15

PMID 31932757

Citations 50

Authors

Medhavi Vishwakarma

Eugenia Piddini

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The tumour microenvironment plays a critical role in determining tumour fate. Within that environment, and indeed throughout epithelial tissues, cells experience competition with their neighbours, with those less fit being eliminated by fitter adjacent cells. Herein we discuss evidence suggesting that mutations in cancer cells may be selected for their ability to exploit cell competition to kill neighbouring host cells, thereby facilitating tumour expansion. In some instances, cell competition may help host tissues to defend against cancer, by removing neoplastic and aneuploid cells. Cancer risk factors, such as high-sugar or high-fat diet and inflammation, impact cell competition-based host defences, suggesting that their effect on tumour risk may in part be accounted for by their influence on cell competition. We propose that interventions aimed at modifying the strength and direction of cell competition could induce cancer cell killing and form the basis for novel anticancer therapies.

Citing Articles

Force transmission is a master regulator of mechanical cell competition.

Schoenit A, Monfared S, Anger L, Rosse C, Venkatesh V, Balasubramaniam L Nat Mater. 2025; .

PMID: 40087537 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02150-9.

Flamingo participates in multiple models of cell competition.

Bosch P, Cho B, Axelrod J Elife. 2025; 13.

PMID: 39854621 PMC: 11684786. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.98535.

Deciphering mechanical cues in the microenvironment: from non-malignant settings to tumor progression.

Zhu Y, Chen J, Chen C, Tang R, Xu J, Shi S Biomark Res. 2025; 13(1):11.

PMID: 39849659 PMC: 11755887. DOI: 10.1186/s40364-025-00727-9.

Epigenetic Disordering Drives Stemness, Senescence Escape and Tumor Heterogeneity.

Magnani E, Macchi F, Randic T, Chen C, Madakashira B, Ranjan S bioRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39763773 PMC: 11703240. DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.29.629346.

Mechanisms of Germline Stem Cell Competition across Species.

Hodge R, Bach E Life (Basel). 2024; 14(10).

PMID: 39459551 PMC: 11509876. DOI: 10.3390/life14101251.

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