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Nature reviews. Cancer
02, 2019;19 (2): 110-117.

Cooperation among cancer cells: applying game theory to cancer.

Marco Archetti, Kenneth J Pienta
Author Information
  1. Marco Archetti: Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA. mua972@psu.edu. ORCID
  2. Kenneth J Pienta: Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. ORCID
PMID: 30470829 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-018-0083-7

Abstract

Cell cooperation promotes many of the hallmarks of cancer via the secretion of diffusible factors that can affect cancer cells or stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment. This cooperation cannot be explained simply as the collective action of cells for the benefit of the tumour because non-cooperative subclones can constantly invade and free-ride on the diffusible factors produced by the cooperative cells. A full understanding of cooperation among the cells of a tumour requires methods and concepts from evolutionary game theory, which has been used successfully in other areas of biology to understand similar problems but has been underutilized in cancer research. Game theory can provide insights into the stability of cooperation among cells in a tumour and into the design of potentially evolution-proof therapies that disrupt this cooperation.

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Grants

  1. U54 CA210173/NCI NIH HHS
  2. U01 CA196390/NCI NIH HHS
  3. P01-CA093900/NIH HHS
  4. U54-CA210173/NIH HHS
  5. U01-CA196390/NIH HHS
  6. P01 CA093900/NCI NIH HHS

MeSH Term

Biological Evolution
Game Theory
Humans
Neoplasms
Tumor Microenvironment
Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review
Article has an altmetric score of 73

Word Cloud

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