title: Do cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effects drive the structure of tumor ecosystems?
abstract: By definition, a driver mutation confers a growth advantage to the cancer cell in which it occurs, while a passenger mutation does not: the former is usually considered as the engine of cancer progression, while the latter is not. Actually, the effects of a given mutation depend on the genetic background of the cell in which it appears, thus can differ in the subclones that form a tumor. In addition to cell-autonomous effects generated by the mutations, non-cell-autonomous effects shape the phenotype of a cancer cell. Here, we review the evidence that a network of biological interactions between subclones drives cancer cell adaptation and amplifies intra-tumor heterogeneity. Integrating the role of mutations in tumor ecosystems generates innovative strategies targeting the tumor ecosystem's weaknesses to improve cancer treatment.
authors: CREEC/MIVEGEC, UMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. Electronic address: tazziotissot@gmail.com.
authors: Tazzio
authors: T
authors: Tissot
authors: Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia.
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Ujvari
authors: INSERM U1170, Gustave Roussy, 94805 Villejuif, France; University Paris-Saclay, Faculty of Medicine, 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Solary
authors: CNRS, UMR 5535, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors: Patrice
authors: P
authors: Lassus
authors: CREEC/MIVEGEC, UMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Unité mixte internationale de Modélisation Mathématique et Informatique des Systèmes Complexes (UMI IRD/UPMC UMMISCO), 32 Avenue Henri Varagnat, 93143 Bondy Cedex, France.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Roche
authors: CREEC/MIVEGEC, UMR IRD/CNRS/UM 5290, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
keywords: Cancer; Ecology; Evolution; Mutations; Non-cell-autonomous effects