What if the default mode of single cells is replication and differentiation/ maturation is secondary. Depending upon the interaction of replicating cells with the microenvironment, adjacent cells release inhibitory molecules which make a replicating cell differentiate/mature. This is because competition for food resources as a whole will wipe out cells, so for survival cells divide to a certain number and differentiate, so that the tissue survives as a whole.
In cancer the default replication of cells carrying driver mutations for tumorigenesis is not inhibited sufficiently by the surrounding cells so uncontrolled cell proliferation occurs. It is possible that driver mutations arise all the time in cells due to replication errors, but then such cells do not survive and proliferate because inhibitory signals by surrounding cells impedes their survival to allow tissue/organ/host formation to occur.
In cancer the tumor survives at the expense of a host, because the cells in the neighbouring microenvironment of the cell carrying the driver mutation are not able to give out sufficient inhibitory signals to inhibit proliferation of cells carrying the driver mutation. One reason could be that a sufficient number of neighbouring cells lacking the driver mutation is needed to give out sufficient signal to inhibit proliferation of cells lacking the driver mutation. If cells lacking the driver mutation divide at a slower rate than cells with the driver mutation, then they will not be able to provide sufficient inhibitory signal against the cell carrying the driver mutation.
In cancer the default replication of cells carrying driver mutations for tumorigenesis is not inhibited sufficiently by the surrounding cells so uncontrolled cell proliferation occurs. It is possible that driver mutations arise all the time in cells due to replication errors, but then such cells do not survive and proliferate because inhibitory signals by surrounding cells impedes their survival to allow tissue/organ/host formation to occur.
In cancer the tumor survives at the expense of a host, because the cells in the neighbouring microenvironment of the cell carrying the driver mutation are not able to give out sufficient inhibitory signals to inhibit proliferation of cells carrying the driver mutation. One reason could be that a sufficient number of neighbouring cells lacking the driver mutation is needed to give out sufficient signal to inhibit proliferation of cells lacking the driver mutation. If cells lacking the driver mutation divide at a slower rate than cells with the driver mutation, then they will not be able to provide sufficient inhibitory signal against the cell carrying the driver mutation.
