Identifying key questions in the ecology and evolution of cancer
Antoine M. Dujon (University of Montpellier, Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences)
Athena Aktipis (Arizona State University)
Catherine Alix-Panabières (University Medical Center of Montpellier)
Sarah R. Amend (Johns Hopkins University)
Amy M. Boddy (University of California)
Joel S. Brown (Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute)
Jean Pascal Capp (UPS)
James DeGregori (University of Colorado School of Medicine)
K. Staňková (TU Delft - Mathematical Physics, Universiteit Maastricht)
G.B. More Authors (External organisation)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
The application of evolutionary and ecological principles to cancer prevention and treatment, as well as recognizing cancer as a selection force in nature, has gained impetus over the last 50 years. Following the initial theoretical approaches that combined knowledge from interdisciplinary fields, it became clear that using the eco-evolutionary framework is of key importance to understand cancer. We are now at a pivotal point where accumulating evidence starts to steer the future directions of the discipline and allows us to underpin the key challenges that remain to be addressed. Here, we aim to assess current advancements in the field and to suggest future directions for research. First, we summarize cancer research areas that, so far, have assimilated ecological and evolutionary principles into their approaches and illustrate their key importance. Then, we assembled 33 experts and identified 84 key questions, organized around nine major themes, to pave the foundations for research to come. We highlight the urgent need for broadening the portfolio of research directions to stimulate novel approaches at the interface of oncology and ecological and evolutionary sciences. We conclude that progressive and efficient cross-disciplinary collaborations that draw on the expertise of the fields of ecology, evolution and cancer are essential in order to efficiently address current and future questions about cancer.
help_outline