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Pradeu T, Daignan-Fornier B, Ewald A, Germain PL, Okasha S, Plutynski A, Benzekry S, Bertolaso M, Bissell M, Brown JS, Chin-Yee B, Chin-Yee I, Clevers H, Cognet L, Darrason M, Farge E, Feunteun J, Galon J, Giroux E, Green S, Gross F, Jaulin F, Knight R, Laconi E, Larmonier N, Maley C, Mantovani A, Moreau V, Nassoy P, Rondeau E, Santamaria D, Sawai CM, Seluanov A, Sepich-Poore GD, Sisirak V, Solary E, Yvonnet S, Laplane L. Reuniting philosophy and science to advance cancer research. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1668-1686. [PMID: 37157910 PMCID: PMC10869205 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancers rely on multiple, heterogeneous processes at different scales, pertaining to many biomedical fields. Therefore, understanding cancer is necessarily an interdisciplinary task that requires placing specialised experimental and clinical research into a broader conceptual, theoretical, and methodological framework. Without such a framework, oncology will collect piecemeal results, with scant dialogue between the different scientific communities studying cancer. We argue that one important way forward in service of a more successful dialogue is through greater integration of applied sciences (experimental and clinical) with conceptual and theoretical approaches, informed by philosophical methods. By way of illustration, we explore six central themes: (i) the role of mutations in cancer; (ii) the clonal evolution of cancer cells; (iii) the relationship between cancer and multicellularity; (iv) the tumour microenvironment; (v) the immune system; and (vi) stem cells. In each case, we examine open questions in the scientific literature through a philosophical methodology and show the benefit of such a synergy for the scientific and medical understanding of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pradeu
- CNRS UMR5164 ImmunoConcEpT, University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Leo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France
- CNRS UMR8590, Institut d’Histoire et Philosophie des Sciences et des Technique, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, 13 rue du Four, Paris 75006, France
| | - Bertrand Daignan-Fornier
- CNRS UMR 5095 Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires, University of Bordeaux, 1 rue Camille St Saens, Bordeaux 33077, France
| | - Andrew Ewald
- Departments of Cell Biology and Oncology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Pierre-Luc Germain
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Neurosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Laboratory of Statistical Bioinformatics, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Samir Okasha
- Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, Cotham House, Bristol, BS6 6JL, UK
| | - Anya Plutynski
- Department of Philosophy, Washington University in St. Louis, and Associate with Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, St. Louis, MO 63105, USA
| | - Sébastien Benzekry
- Computational Pharmacology and Clinical Oncology (COMPO) Unit, Inria Sophia Antipolis-Méditerranée, Cancer Research Center of Marseille, Inserm UMR1068, CNRS UMR7258, Aix Marseille University UM105, 27, bd Jean Moulin, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Marta Bertolaso
- Research Unit of Philosophy of Science and Human Development, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Àlvaro del Portillo, 21-00128, Rome, Italy
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, University of Bergen, Bergen 5007, Norway
| | - Mina Bissell
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joel S. Brown
- Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Benjamin Chin-Yee
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 800 Commissioners Rd E, London, ON, Canada
- Rotman Institute of Philosophy, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street North, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ian Chin-Yee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 800 Commissioners Rd E, London, ON, Canada
| | - Hans Clevers
- Pharma, Research and Early Development (pRED) of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, Basel 4070, Switzerland
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Laurent Cognet
- CNRS UMR 5298, Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences, University of Bordeaux, Rue François Mitterrand, Talence 33400, France
| | - Marie Darrason
- Department of Pneumology and Thoracic Oncology, University Hospital of Lyon, 165 Chem. du Grand Revoyet, 69310 Pierre Bénite, Lyon, France
- Lyon Institute of Philosophical Research, Lyon 3 Jean Moulin University, 1 Av. des Frères Lumière, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Emmanuel Farge
- Mechanics and Genetics of Embryonic and Tumor Development group, Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR168, Inserm, Centre Origines et conditions d’apparition de la vie (OCAV) Paris Sciences Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Institut Curie, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 75005, France
| | - Jean Feunteun
- INSERM U981, Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif 94800, France
| | - Jérôme Galon
- INSERM UMRS1138, Integrative Cancer Immunology, Cordelier Research Center, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, 15 rue de l’École de Médecine, Paris 75006, France
| | - Elodie Giroux
- Lyon Institute of Philosophical Research, Lyon 3 Jean Moulin University, 1 Av. des Frères Lumière, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Sara Green
- Section for History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Rådmandsgade 64, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Fridolin Gross
- CNRS UMR5164 ImmunoConcEpT, University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Leo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France
| | - Fanny Jaulin
- INSERM U1279, Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif 94800, France
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, 3223 Voigt Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ezio Laconi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Cagliari, Via Università 40, Cagliari 09124, Italy
| | - Nicolas Larmonier
- CNRS UMR5164 ImmunoConcEpT, University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Leo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France
| | - Carlo Maley
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Alberto Mantovani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 4 Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 20090 Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Istituto Clinico Humanitas Humanitas Cancer Center (IRCCS) Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy
- The William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Violaine Moreau
- INSERM UMR1312, Bordeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC), University of Bordeaux, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France
| | - Pierre Nassoy
- CNRS UMR 5298, Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences, University of Bordeaux, Rue François Mitterrand, Talence 33400, France
| | - Elena Rondeau
- INSERM U1111, ENS Lyon and Centre International de Recherche en Infectionlogie (CIRI), 46 Allée d’Italie, Lyon 69007, France
| | - David Santamaria
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Catherine M. Sawai
- INSERM UMR1312, Bordeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC), University of Bordeaux, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Department of Biology and Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | | | - Vanja Sisirak
- CNRS UMR5164 ImmunoConcEpT, University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Leo Saignat, Bordeaux 33076, France
| | - Eric Solary
- INSERM U1287, Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif 94800, France
- Département d’hématologie, Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif 94800, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté de Médecine, 63 Rue Gabriel Péri, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre 94270, France
| | - Sarah Yvonnet
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Lucie Laplane
- CNRS UMR8590, Institut d’Histoire et Philosophie des Sciences et des Technique, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, 13 rue du Four, Paris 75006, France
- INSERM U1287, Gustave Roussy, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif 94800, France
- Center for Biology and Society, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, 1100 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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