Abstract：
The traditional view of cancer emphasizes a genes-first process. Novel cancer traits arise by genetic mutations that spread to drive phenotypic change. However, recent data support a phenotypes-first process in which nonheritable cellular variability creates novel traits that later become heritably stabilized by genetic and epigenetic changes. Single-cell measurements reinforce the idea that phenotypes lead genotypes, showing how cancer evolution follows normal developmental plasticity and creates novel traits by recombining parts of different cellular developmental programs. In parallel, studies in evolutionary biology also support a phenotypes-first process driven by developmental plasticity and developmental recombination. These advances in cancer research and evolutionary biology mutually reinforce a revolution in our understanding of how cells and organisms evolve novel traits in response to environmental challenges.
摘要：
传统的癌症观点强调基因优先的过程。新的癌症性状是由遗传突变产生的，遗传突变传播以驱动表型变化。然而,最近的数据支持表型优先的过程,在该过程中,不可遗传的细胞变异性产生新的性状,这些性状后来通过遗传和表观遗传变化而变得遗传稳定.单细胞测量强化了表型导致基因型的观点，显示癌症进化如何遵循正常的发育可塑性，并通过重组不同细胞发育程序的部分来创造新的特征。并行,进化生物学的研究也支持由发育可塑性和发育重组驱动的表型优先过程。癌症研究和进化生物学的这些进展相互促进了我们对细胞和生物体如何进化新特征以应对环境挑战的理解的革命。
