Cancer Is to Embryology as Mutation Is to Genetics: Hypothesis of the Cancer as Embryological Phenomenon

Abstract

Despite numerous advances in cell biology, genetics, and developmental biology, cancer origin has been attributed to genetic mechanisms primarily involving mutations. Embryologists have expressed timidly cancer embryological origin with little success in leveraging the discussion that cancer could involve a set of conventional cellular processes used to build the embryo during morphogenesis. Thus, this “cancer process” allows the harmonious and coherent construction of the embryo structural base, and its implementation as the embryonic process involves joint regulation of differentiation, proliferation, cell invasion, and migration, enabling the human being recreation of every generation. On the other hand, “cancer disease” is the representation of an abnormal state of the cell that might happen in the stem cells of an adult person, in which the mechanism for joint gene regulating of differentiation, proliferation, cell invasion, and migration could be reactivated in an entirely inappropriate context.

Cell Reversal From a Differentiated to a Stem-Like State at Cancer Initiation

“…In an earlier stage of organism development (12), as embryonic stem cells (ESC), or later as induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), cells present a higher proliferation rate than at a mature state. In the event of a later cell reversal to one of these states, the cell doesn't receive the right chemical and mechanical signals from the microenvironment in which it is situated to control its development, and this can result in an uncontrollable multiplication.…”

“…As shown in Vaux (1), some experiments use oncogenes to activate iPSC; ESC genes and networks, like Oct3/4, SOX2 and Nanog, are activated on cancer initiation and progress (18). This can be interpreted as an association between cells pluripotency, after their regression to a more stem-cell like state, and carcinogenesis (12). Stem and cancer cells' phenotypes share some similarities, the two being in a proliferative state, are invasive and can be considered potentially immortal (22).…”

Overview of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Systemic Cancer Treatment, Aging, Pregnancy, and Radiation Hormesis

“…A cancer, being embryonic-like tissue, involves a set of conventional cellular processes used to grow the embryo during morphogenesis [45]…”

Developmental biology, the stem cell of biological disciplines

“…The somatic mutation theory (SMT) still holds sway, claiming that cancer was due to mutations in the premalignant cell. Reviewing the embryological mechanisms of cancer, Cofre and Abdelhay [ 38 ] have recently written that “embryologists have expressed timidly” the idea that cancer can be seen as alterations of normal development and have met “with little success in leveraging the discussion that cancer could involve a set of conventional interactions used to build the embryo during morphogenesis.” However, I cannot view Barry Pierce’s [ 39 ] article “Carcinoma is to embryology as mutation is to genetics” as timid (it demands changes in the college curriculum), nor do Carlos Sonnenschein and Ana Soto, the founders of the Tissue Organizational Field Theory [ 40 , 41 ], hide the light of developmental cancer origins under a bushel. This failure to gain traction for a developmental approach to cancer is more likely due to the inability of the target to respond.…”

“…But things may be changing. The basis for the allele-oriented SMT has recently been questioned [ 39 – 41 ], and the relevance of embryonic fields to cancer has been re-established [ 38 – 44 ]. Alterations in paracrine factor signaling in both the target and producer cells have been seen to initiate cancer formation, and embryonic processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transformation are now seen as critical in metastasis.…”