Transmissible cancers in mammals and bivalves: How many examples are there?: Predictions indicate widespread occurrence.
Bioessays
; 43(3): e2000222, 2021 03.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33210313
ABSTRACT
Transmissible cancers are elusive and understudied parasitic life forms caused by malignant clonal cells (nine lineages are known so far). They emerge by completing sequential steps that include breaking cell cooperation, evade anti-cancer defences and shedding cells to infect new hosts. Transmissible cancers impair host fitness, and their importance as selective force is likely largely underestimated. It is, therefore, crucial to determine how common they might be in the wild. Here, we draw a parallel between the steps required for a transmissible cancer to emerge and the steps required for an intelligent civilisation to emerge in the Milky Way using a modified Drake equation. Using numerical analyses, we estimate the potential number of extant marine and bivalve species in which transmissible cancers might exist. Our results suggest that transmissible cancers are more common than expected, and that new lineages can be found by screening a large number of species.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Bivalves
/
Marsupiais
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Bioessays
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Austrália