Cancer as a Disease of Development Gone Awry

Abstract

In the 160 years since Rudolf Virchow first postulated that neoplasia arises by the same law that regulates embryonic development, scientists have come to recognize the striking overlap between the molecular and cellular programs used by cancers and embryos. Advances in cancer biology and molecular techniques have further highlighted the similarities between carcinogenesis and embryogenesis, where cellular growth, differentiation, motility, and intercellular cross talk are mediated by common drivers and regulatory networks. This review highlights the many connections linking cancer biology and developmental biology to provide a deeper understanding of how a tissue’s developmental history may both enable and constrain cancer cell evolution.