Disease consequences of pathogen adaptation.
Experimental evolution studies demonstrate that pathogens evolve rapidly, have a large capacity for increased virulence and cause disease in many different ways. A large proportion of genetic diversity for host susceptibility to infectious, autoimmune and 'genetic' diseases, and to cancer, is probably caused by pathogens and/or host counteradaptations. Recent advances in diverse fields support this claim and suggest many underused approaches for identifying and experimentally dissecting the complicated host-pathogen interactions that often lead to disease.
Slev
Patricia R
PR
Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA. Slev@biology.utah.edu
Potts
Wayne K
WK
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*