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The evolution of resistance and tolerance as cancer defences
- Frédéric Thomas, Mathieu Giraudeau, Flora Gouzerh, Justine Boutry, François Renaud, Pascal Pujol, Aurélie Tasiemski, Florence Bernex, Antonio Maraver, Emilie Bousquet, Laurent Dormont, Jens Osterkamp, Benjamin Roche, Rodrigo Hamede, Beata Ujvari
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- Journal:
- Parasitology / Volume 147 / Issue 3 / March 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 December 2019, pp. 255-262
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- Article
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Although there is a plethora of cancer associated-factors that can ultimately culminate in death (cachexia, organ impairment, metastases, opportunistic infections, etc.), the focal element of every terminal malignancy is the failure of our natural defences to control unlimited cell proliferation. The reasons why our defences apparently lack efficiency is a complex question, potentially indicating that, under Darwinian terms, solutions other than preventing cancer progression are also important contributors. In analogy with host-parasite systems, we propose to call this latter option ‘tolerance’ to cancer. Here, we argue that the ubiquity of oncogenic processes among metazoans is at least partially attributable to both the limitations of resistance mechanisms and to the evolution of tolerance to cancer. Deciphering the ecological contexts of alternative responses to the cancer burden is not a semantic question, but rather a focal point in understanding the evolutionary ecology of host-tumour relationships, the evolution of our defences, as well as why and when certain cancers are likely to be detrimental for survival.
9 - Elements for a foresight debate on food sustainability
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- By Tévécia Ronzon, Sandrine Paillard, Philippe Chemineau, Christine Aubry, Nicolas Bricas, Paul Colonna, Catherine Esnouf, Stéphane Fournier, Hervé Guyomard, Pascale Hébel, Jean Hirschler, Claudine Joly, Céline Laisney, Bernard Maire, Jean-Louis Lambert, Sophie Le Perchec, Charles Pernin, Jean-Luc Pujol, Barbara Redlingshöfer, Vincent Réquillart, Marie Russel, Bruno Vindel
- Edited by Catherine Esnouf, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Marie Russel, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Paris, Nicolas Bricas, Centre de Co-opération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Paris
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- Book:
- Food System Sustainability
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 25 April 2013, pp 176-197
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- Chapter
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Summary
Regional and global food systems are constantly evolving, thus the contextual elements presented in Chapter 1 are likely to evolve, and food systems will be transformed. Because it is impossible to predict the food systems of tomorrow, we have adopted a foresight approach in order to try and understand possible future changes. Our approach, which is presented in the first part of this chapter, has therefore mainly been based on identifying the main drivers of the transformation of food systems. This work was the fruit of collective discussions by a multidisciplinary group made up of some 15 experts. The plurality of their views and their areas of competence allowed them to analyse the potential impacts of the different evolutions identified relative to the sustainability of food systems in terms of their nutritional, economic, social, cultural, environmental and territorial dimensions. This step of the analysis also enabled us to highlight a certain number of points at issue, which are presented in the second part of the chapter; this does not end with a presentation of different scenarios (as might have been expected), but concludes with the three transversal messages arising from debate by this workshop: issues linked to inequalities of access to food, territorial dynamics and the governance of food systems.
Food systems evolving under the effects of various factors
Through the identification of factors underlying the transformation of food systems, it appears clearly that some trends have already been identified (see, in particular, Chapter 1 on the context and the challenges of food systems, and the retrospective analysis described in Chapter 2). Nevertheless, these trends involve a certain number of questions and uncertainties, notably regarding the nature and degree of their potential effects. These uncertainties thus open the way to contrasting scenarios for food systems throughout the world (see Figure 9.1).