Cancer as a developmental disease

30/08/2023 03:52:54 Author: Jackson Cionek

Cancer as a developmental disease

The concept of cancer as a developmental disease refers to the idea that some of the same processes that govern normal embryonic development are co-opted or misregulated in cancer. During development, cells undergo a series of tightly controlled processes, including proliferation, differentiation, migration, and programmed cell death. These processes are regulated by a combination of signaling pathways, transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms. When these processes go awry, it can lead to tumorigenesis or the formation of cancer.

Several lines of evidence support the notion of cancer as a developmental disease:

Tissue Development and Tumor Formation: Some tissues that undergo extensive remodeling during development, such as the breast or prostate, are also sites of common tumors in adulthood.

Stem Cells and Cancer: The idea of cancer stem cells proposes that within tumors, a subset of cells retains the self-renewal properties of stem cells and is primarily responsible for tumor initiation and growth. This parallels the role of normal stem cells during development.

Signaling Pathways: Many signaling pathways that are critical for embryonic development, such as the Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways, are found to be misregulated in various cancers.

Transcription Factors: Several transcription factors essential for developmental processes are also implicated in cancer when they are aberrantly expressed or regulated. For example, the MYC transcription factor, which plays roles in both normal development and cancer.

Epigenetic Regulation: Epigenetic changes, which involve modifications to DNA or histones that can influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, are crucial in both development and cancer.

Reactivation of Embryonic Programs: Some cancers reactivate cellular programs that are typically only active during embryonic development. An example is the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), where epithelial cells acquire characteristics of mesenchymal cells. EMT is crucial for certain developmental processes but is also a hallmark of many aggressive cancers, facilitating tumor invasion and metastasis.

Understanding cancer as a misregulation or hijacking of developmental processes has therapeutic implications. By targeting the specific pathways or processes that tumors co-opt from normal developmental programs, novel treatments can be developed. However, because these pathways are also essential for normal cellular function, achieving therapeutic specificity (i.e., targeting the tumor without harming normal cells) can be challenging.

In conclusion, viewing cancer through the lens of developmental biology offers a deeper understanding of the disease's origins and progression. While not all cancers can be straightforwardly linked to developmental processes, the intersections between development and cancer are significant and represent a fruitful area of research.