Microcompetition and the origin of cancer

Abnormal gene expression is a common observation in cancer cells. Although genetic alterations via somatic mutations or DNA modifications are considered to be the cause of cancer, they do not explain the observed abnormal gene expression of many wild-type genes in cancer. Now, a new theory, called “Microcompetition”, identifies a non-genetic-alteration event as the cause of the observed abnormal gene expression, and therefore, the cause of cancer and other chronic diseases.