Relationships Between Regeneration, Wound Healing, and Cancer

Regeneration and cancer share genetic mechanisms and cellular processes. While highly regenerative cells are often the source of cancer, persistent injury or imperfect regeneration in the form of wound healing can lead to degenerative conditions that favor cancer development. Thus, the causal interplay between regeneration and cancer is complex. This article focuses on understanding how functional variation in regeneration and wound healing might influence the risk of cancer. Variation in regenerative capacity might create trade-offs or adaptations that significantly alter cancer risk. From this perspective, we probe the causal relationships between regeneration, wound healing, and cancer.

Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cancer Biology, Volume 8 is April 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.