NIH R01 · 2024
Aged tissue environments as drivers of oncogenic adaptation in hematopoiesis
The risk of most cancers, including leukemias, increases exponentially as we age, with over 90% of cancers occurring after the age of 50. This association has been primarily ascribed to the gradual accumulation of oncogenic mutations throughout life. We contend that the contribution of mutations, while necessary, is not sufficient to explain the role of aging in the development of leukemias and other cancers. Just as species evolution has been driven by environmental changes that select for adaptive phenotypes in populations, we propose that the changes in our tissues occurring in old age are substantial contributors to oncogenesis. In particular, inflammation increases in the bone marrow…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.