title: Competitive cell interactions in cancer: a cellular tug of war.
abstract: Within tissues, cells sense differences in fitness levels and this can lead to fitter cells eliminating less fit, albeit viable, cells via competitive cell interactions. The involvement of several cancer-related genes in this phenomenon has drawn attention to a potential connection between competitive cell interactions and cancer. Indeed, initial studies found that tumor-promoting genes can turn cells into 'supercompetitors', able to kill normal cells around them. However, more recently it has been observed that cells harboring certain cancer-promoting mutations can be eliminated by surrounding normal cells, suggesting that competitive cell interactions could also have a tumor-suppressive role. These findings suggest a new view whereby tumor and host cells engage in a bidirectional tug of war, the outcome of which may have a profound impact on disease progression.
authors.affiliation: The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.forename: Golnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kolahgar
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piddini
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication; D018450:Disease Progression; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*