Work

Cancer signaling beyond the genes

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: Cancer is still largely interpreted through the lens of genetic mutations, which continues to shape most therapeutic strategies. Yet single cell analyses reveal limits to this view: phenotypic heterogeneity is pervasive even among genetically identical cancer cells, and many canonical driver mutations are also present in non-malignant tissues. These paradoxes can be reconciled by viewing cancer as a new tissue state characterized by aberrant cellular information processing, where mutations act as context-dependent modifiers of the signaling codes. We advance a framework in which input-specific signaling dynamics determine phenotypic outcomes, while oncogenic mutations bias and blur these dynamics rather than acting as simple "on-off" switches. In this view, therapeutic success depends on restoring the fidelity of dynamic signal encoding and decoding rather than merely inhibiting isolated pathway components.

Source: Current Opinion in Cell Biology

DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2026.102643

Authors: Andre Levchenko, Ralitsa R. Madsen

Institutions: Yale University, University of Dundee, MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, University of Glasgow

Language: English

Topic: Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics

Subfield: Cancer Research

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,390