Peter Deusberg proposed in an article in Cell that Carcinogenesis can most appropriately be described as a form of speciation. His argument exploits common characteristics of cancer cells to show that these cells have headed down the evolutionary pathway to speciation. These hallmarks include:
1. Specie specific autonomy
2. Karyotypic and phenotype individuality
3. Flexibility by Karyotypic variations within stable margins of autonomy
4. Immortality by replacing defective Karyotypes.
5. Low probability of alterations in Karyotype generating autonomous species.
Questions:
Is carcinogenesis speciation?
If so, how will this alter further cancer biology research?
https://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/cc/DuesbergCC10-13.pdf