Treating Cancer as an Invasive Species

Abstract

To cure a patient's cancer is to eradicate invasive cells from the ecosystem of the body. However, the ecologic complexity of this challenge is not well understood. Here we show how results from eradications of invasive mammalian species from islands-one of the few contexts in which invasive species have been regularly cleared-inform new research directions for treating cancer. We first summarize the epidemiologic characteristics of island invader eradications and cancer treatments by analyzing recent datasets from the Database of Invasive Island Species Eradications and The Cancer Genome Atlas, detailing the superior successes of island eradication projects. Next, we compare how genetic and environmental factors impact success in each system. These comparisons illuminate a number of promising cancer research and treatment directions, such as heterogeneity engineering as motivated by gene drives and adaptive therapy; multiscale analyses of how population heterogeneity potentiates treatment resistance; and application of ecological data mining techniques to high-throughput cancer data. We anticipate that interdisciplinary comparisons between tumor progression and invasive species would inspire development of novel paradigms to cure cancer.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma ecology theory: cancer as multidimensional spatiotemporal “unity of ecology and evolution” pathological ecosystem

“…These malignant cells confront with many physical barriers before they can invade, survive and favor the new environment for further colonization and dissemination. Consistent with the "seed and soil" theory of metastasis proposed by Paget in 1889 (78), the best predictors of the success of ecological dispersal are those variables that whether cancer cells have enough ecological adaptive and reproductive ability (79)(80)(81). In the primary sites, for example, NPC cells can secrete matrix metalloproteinases that physically alter their environments (82)(83)(84), contribute to angiogenesis via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production (85-87), manipulate the content and functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs) (88)(89)(90)(91)(92) or change tight vascular capillary endothelial walls by inducing endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EnMT) (93) of the organ ecosystem.…”

“…The latest study demonstrates that plateletderived RGS18 protects CTCs from NK-mediated immune surveillance by hijacking immune checkpoint HLA-E:CD94-NKG2A (101); 3) When cancer cells reach the distant sites, they have to adapt to the new microenvironment such as ECM components and the immune system seem to don't welcome their arrivals (102). These disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) need to construct the local conditions as "ecological engineers" to set up their habitat to assist the survival (79)(80)(81)103), that is, creating pre-metastatic niche (niche construction) such as immunosuppression, tumor-promoting inflammation, inducing angiogenesis and ECM reprogramming, and aerobic glycolysis producing an acidic local environment (104)(105)(106). For instance, they attract angiogenesis vasculature to ensure a supply of oxygen and nutrients, and switch energy metabolism to glycolysis for hypoxia adaptation (107,108).…”

Lymphocytes, Interleukin 6 and D-dimer Cannot Predict Clinical Outcome in Coronavirus Cancer Patients: LyNC1.20 Study

“…Cancer microenvironment is represented by heterogeneous cancer cells and their interactions with stromal cells and the immune system (37,38). Tumor progression is a multistep complex cascade (19) which requires evasion from the host's immunosurveillance mechanisms (27).…”

A survey of open questions in adaptive therapy: Bridging mathematics and clinical translation

“…Adaptive therapy strategies are one part of a broader approach to introduce evolutionary principles into dose scheduling to mitigate the evolution of resistance ( Gatenby and Brown, 2020b ; Noorbakhsh et al, 2020 ; Belkhir et al, 2021 ; Stanková et al, 2019 ). Ongoing or planned evolution-based treatment trials include a trial in rhabdomyosarcoma, which includes both extinction therapy and adaptive therapy arms (NCT04388839) ( Reed et al, 2020 ), adaptive androgen deprivation for castration-sensitive prostate cancer (NCT03511196), adaptive abiraterone or enzalutamide in castration-resistant prostate cancer (ANZadapt; NCT05393791), adaptive administration of BRAF-MEK inhibitors for advanced BRAF mutant melanoma (NCT03543969), adaptive carboplatin in ovarian cancer (ACTOv trial; NCT05080556), adaptive therapy of Vismodegib in advanced basal cell carcinoma (NCT05651828), and a feasibility study ( Robertson-Tessi et al, 2023 ) for implementing evolution-based strategies with the aid of mathematical modeling decision-support (the ‘evolutionary tumor board’ at the Moffitt Cancer Center; NCT04343365).…”