Cancer Is A Tool Kit

[Guest guest]

Despite decades of research and billions of dollars, cancer remains a major

killer, with an uncanny ability to evade both the body's defenses and medical

intervention. Now an Arizona State University scientist believes he has an

explanation.

" Cancer is not a random bunch of selfish rogue cells behaving badly, but a

highly-efficient pre-programmed response to stress, honed by a long period of

evolution, " claims professor Davies, director of the BEYOND Center for

Fundamental Concepts in Science at ASU and principal investigator of a major

research program funded by the National Cancer Institute designed to bring

insights from physical science to the problem of cancer.

In a paper published online Feb. 7 in the UK Institute of Physics journal

Physical Biology, Davies and Lineweaver from the Australian National

University draw on their backgrounds in astrobiology to explain why cancer cells

deploy so many clever tricks in such a coherent and organized way.

They say it's because cancer revisits tried-and-tested genetic pathways going

back a billion years, to the time when loose collections of cells began

cooperating in the lead-up to fully developed multicellular life. Dubbed by the

authors " Metazoa 1.0, " these early assemblages fell short of the full cell and

organ differentiation associated with modern multicellular organisms - like

humans.

But according to Davies and Lineweaver, the genes for the early, looser

assemblages - Metazoa 1.0 - are still there, forming an efficient toolkit.

Normally it is kept locked, suppressed by the machinery of later genes used for

more sophisticated body plans. If something springs the lock, the ancient genes

systematically roll out the many traits that make cancer such a resilient form

of life - and such a formidable adversary. Read more........

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215928.php

FYI,

Lottie Duthu