title: Cancer tolerance, resistance, pathogenicity and virulence: deconstructing the disease state.
abstract: Immunologists have recently taken note of the fact that a host not only resists infection, but also exhibits a capacity to manage the pathology associated with such infection - a concept referred to as tolerance. Here we explore how the tolerance/resistance (T/R) framework can be implemented within an oncological context and explore a number of implications. In particular, the T/R framework distinguishes between pathology manifesting from extensive tumor burden, versus cancers intrinsically expressing a more pathogenic phenotype. Consequently, the T/R framework provides novel methodology in studying the nature of cancer pathology and for marker identification. Additionally, this framework may aid in redefining the therapeutic end point under suitable circumstances: establishing cancer as a chronic, manageable disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Niekerk
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nell
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
authors.forename: Anna-Mart
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Engelbrecht
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: cancer; cancer cachexia; pathogenicity; resistance; tolerance; virulence