The clonal evolution of tumor cell populations
01 Oct 1976-Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)-Vol. 194, Iss: 4260, pp 23-28
TL;DR: Each patient's cancer may require individual specific therapy, and even this may be thwarted by emergence of a genetically variant subline resistant to the treatment, which should be directed toward understanding and controlling the evolutionary process in tumors before it reaches the late stage usually seen in clinical cancer.
Abstract: It is proposed that most neoplasms arise from a single cell of origin, and tumor progression results from acquired genetic variability within the original clone allowing sequential selection of more aggressive sublines. Tumor cell populations are apparently more genetically unstable than normal cells, perhaps from activation of specific gene loci in the neoplasm, continued presence of carcinogen, or even nutritional deficiencies within the tumor. The acquired genetic insta0ility and associated selection process, most readily recognized cytogenetically, results in advanced human malignancies being highly individual karyotypically and biologically. Hence, each patient's cancer may require individual specific therapy, and even this may be thwarted by emergence of a genetically variant subline resistant to the treatment. More research should be directed toward understanding and controlling the evolutionary process in tumors before it reaches the late stage usually seen in clinical cancer.
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TL;DR: This work has been supported by the Department of the Army and the National Institutes of Health, and the author acknowledges the support and encouragement of the National Cancer Institute.
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TL;DR: A model for the genetic basis of colorectal neoplasia that includes the following salient features is presented, which may be applicable to other common epithelial neoplasms, in which tumors of varying stage are more difficult to study.
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Cites background from "The clonal evolution of tumor cell ..."
...Although the process of adenoma progression is actually a continuum, presumably resulting from successive waves of clonal expansion (Nowell, 1976) three discrete stages of adenoma formation are depicted in Figure 3....
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TL;DR: This work has revealed the genomic landscapes of common forms of human cancer, which consists of a small number of “mountains” (genes altered in a high percentage of tumors) and a much larger number of "hills" (Genes altered infrequently).
Abstract: Over the past decade, comprehensive sequencing efforts have revealed the genomic landscapes of common forms of human cancer. For most cancer types, this landscape consists of a small number of “mountains” (genes altered in a high percentage of tumors) and a much larger number of “hills” (genes altered infrequently). To date, these studies have revealed ~140 genes that, when altered by intragenic mutations, can promote or “drive” tumorigenesis. A typical tumor contains two to eight of these “driver gene” mutations; the remaining mutations are passengers that confer no selective growth advantage. Driver genes can be classified into 12 signaling pathways that regulate three core cellular processes: cell fate, cell survival, and genome maintenance. A better understanding of these pathways is one of the most pressing needs in basic cancer research. Even now, however, our knowledge of cancer genomes is sufficient to guide the development of more effective approaches for reducing cancer morbidity and mortality.
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TL;DR: It is now known that the potential of a tumour cell to metastasize depends on its interactions with the homeostatic factors that promote tumour-cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis.
Abstract: Researchers have been studying metastasis for more than 100 years, and only recently have we gained insight into the mechanisms by which metastatic cells arise from primary tumours and the reasons that certain tumour types tend to metastasize to specific organs. Stephen Paget's 1889 proposal that metastasis depends on cross-talk between selected cancer cells (the 'seeds') and specific organ microenvironments (the 'soil') still holds forth today. It is now known that the potential of a tumour cell to metastasize depends on its interactions with the homeostatic factors that promote tumour-cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. How has this field developed over the past century, and what major breakthroughs are most likely to lead to effective therapeutic approaches?
4,319 citations
Cites background from "The clonal evolution of tumor cell ..."
...This evolution has been attributed to acquired genetic variations in the cells that populate a neoplas...
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Journal Article•
TL;DR: The p53 tumor suppressor gene has become a paradigm in cancer research because it is commonly mutated in human cancer and the spectrum of p53 mutations in these cancers is providing clues to the etiology and molecular pathogenesis of neoplasia as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The p53 tumor suppressor gene has come to the forefront of cancer research because it is commonly mutated in human cancer and the spectrum of p53 mutations in these cancers is providing clues to the etiology and molecular pathogenesis of neoplasia (1—3). Detection of p53 abnormalities may have diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications (4). The 15-year history of p53 investigations is a paradigm in cancer research, illustrating the convergence of previously parallel lines of basic, clinical, and epidemiological investigation and the rapid trans fer of research findings from the laboratory to the clinic. p53 is clearly a component in biochemical pathways central to human carcinogen esis; p53 protein alterations due to missense mutations and loss of p53 protein by nonsense or frameshift mutations provide a selective ad vantage for clonal expansion of preneoplastic and neoplastic cells (5). The potential for a missense mutation to cause loss of tumor suppres sor function and gain of oncogenic activity, i.e., to transform cells by two mechanisms, is one explanation for the commonality of p53 mutations in human cancer. Recent studies investigating the mecha nisms underlying the biological activity of p53 indicate that the protein is involved in gene transcription, DNA synthesis and repair, genomic plasticity, and programmed cell death (1—6).These complex biochemical processes are performed by multicomponent protein ma chines; therefore, it is not surprising that the p53 protein forms complexes with other cellular proteins (Fig. 1) and that some viral oncoproteins alter the functions of these machines by binding to p53 and perturbing its interaction with other cellular protein components. In this Perspective, we will focus on the origin of p.53 mutations, the mutational spectrum of p.53 in human cancers, and the hypotheses generated by the analysis of p53 mutations in premalignant and malignant cells. The interpretation ofp53 mutations in human cancers is based on observations of the patterns of DNA damage induced by chemical and physical mutagens in model systems. In this Introduc tion, we will review these data, which provide the background for many of the inferences drawn from p53 mutational analysis.
3,733 citations
Cites background from "The clonal evolution of tumor cell ..."
...aprt gene Spontaneous (30) [281] UV light (31) [282] Ionizing radiation (16) [39] BPDE (21) [283]71 52 19 513 6 6 623 6 6 140 3 6 07 10 13 90 6 19 00 6 0 06 3 31 50 3 0 5Human...
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...vary in genotype and phenotype (21); a false negative result might...
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...Abnormalities in some of these processes could result in the mu tator phenotype (20, 21), which could increase the probabilities of...
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References
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Journal Article•
TL;DR: The survival of the rapidly renewing tissues of long-lived animals like man requires that they be protected against the natural selection of fitter variant cells (that is, the spontaneous appearance of... as discussed by the authors.
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1,440 citations
TL;DR: After almost 200 transplant generations as a highly malignant tumor, embryoid body core cells appear to be developmentally totipotent and able to express, in an orderly sequence in differentiation of somatic and germ-line tissues, many genes hitherto silent in the tumor of origin.
Abstract: Malignant mouse teratocarcinoma (or embryonal carcinoma) cells with a normal modal chromosome number were taken from the "cores" of embryoid bodies grown only in vivo as an ascites tumor for 8 years, and were injected into blastocysts bearing many genetic markers, in order to test the developmental capacities, genetic constitution, and reversibility of malignancy of the core cells. Ninety-three live normal pre- and postnatal animals were obtained. Of 14 thus far analyzed, three were cellular genetic mosaics with substantial contributions of tumor-derived cells in many developmentally unrelated tissues, including some never seen in the solid tumors that form in transplant hosts. The tissues functioned normally and synthesized their specific products (e.g., immunoglobulins, adult hemoglobin, liver proteins) coded for by strain-type alleles at known loci. In addition, a tumor-contributed color gene, steel, not previously known to be present in the carcinoma cells, was detected from the coat phenotype. Cells derived from the carcinoma, which is of X/Y sex chromosome constitution, also contributed to the germ line and formed reproductively functional sperms, some of which transmitted the steel gene to the progeny. Thus, after almost 200 transplant generations as a highly malignant tumor, embryoid body core cells appear to be developmentally totipotent and able to express, in an orderly sequence in differentiation of somatic and germ-line tissues, many genes hitherto silent in the tumor of origin. This experimental system of "cycling" teratocarcinoma core cells through mice, in conjunction with experimental mutagenesis of those cells, may therefore provide a new and useful tool for biochemical, developmental, and genetic analyses of mammalian differentiation. The results also furnish an unequivocal example in animals of a non-mutational basis for transformation to malignancy and of reversal to normalcy. The origin of this tumor from a disorganized embryo suggests that malignancies of some other, more specialized, stem cells might arise comparably through tissue disorganization, leading to developmental aberrations of gene expression rather than changes in gene structure.
1,059 citations
TL;DR: Three possible protective mechanisms are discussed and it is shown how they could explain various features of the natural history of certain common cancers of man.
Abstract: Survival of the rapidly renewing tissues of long-lived animals like man requires that they be protected against the natural selection of fitter variant cells (that is the spontaneous appearance of cancer). This article discusses three possible protective mechanisms and shows how they could explain various features of the natural history of certain common cancers of man.
894 citations
TL;DR: Both A and B tumors were found in all uteri, consistent with the hypothesis that these tumors arose from single cells.
Abstract: The sex-linked electrophoretic variants A and B of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were studied in 86 samples of myometrium and 27 leiomyomas from five heterozygous women. All but one sample of myometrium had both A and B bands in equal or nearly equal amounts. In contrast to this, all of the leiomyomas had either an A band or a B band. Both A and B tumors were found in all uteri. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that these tumors arose from single cells.
355 citations