2026-11-09 イースト・アングリア大学（UEA）
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/childhood-cancers-may-spread-by-shape-shifting-rather-than-mutating
- https://www.cell.com/trends-open/fulltext/S3117-3470(26)00177-X
小児がん転移の枠組みとしての発達可塑性 Developmental plasticity as a framework for paediatric cancer metastasis
Darrell Green ∙ Darren W. Sexton
Trends Open Published:November 9, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.treopn.2026.10.002
Abstract
Metastasis is the principal cause of cancer-related mortality in children, yet its biological origins remain incompletely understood. Paediatric cancers frequently combine low mutation burdens with structural genomic alterations and phenotypic heterogeneity, suggesting that metastatic progression reflects interactions between genetic evolution and cellular plasticity. Here, we integrate genomic, epigenomic, developmental, and single-cell evidence to examine how oncogenic lesions and developmental origin define accessible cellular states, while epigenetic, metabolic, and microenvironmental signals regulate transitions between them. We propose a developmental plasticity framework in which genetic architecture constrains the cellular state landscape, while phenotypic adaptation shapes metastatic behaviour. We discuss evidence distinguishing plasticity from clonal selection, mechanisms driving state transitions, and opportunities to therapeutically intercept metastasis-permissive states or exploit vulnerabilities created during adaptation.
