Tumorigenesis: it takes a village

Cet article passe en revue les perspectives de développement thérapeutique offertes par les travaux récents sur les mécanismes par lesquels des populations sous-clonales coopèrent pour favoriser la progression de tumeurs hétérogènes

Résumé en anglais

Although it is widely accepted that most cancers exhibit some degree of intratumour heterogeneity, we are far from understanding the dynamics that operate among subpopulations within tumours. There is growing evidence that cancer cells behave as communities, and increasing attention is now being directed towards the cooperative behaviour of subclones that can influence disease progression. As expected, these interactions can add a greater layer of complexity to therapeutic interventions in heterogeneous tumours, often leading to a poor prognosis. In this Review, we highlight studies that demonstrate such interactions in cancer and postulate ways to overcome them with better-designed therapeutic strategies.