Darwin's Pangenesis and Medical Genetics.

Abstract

Darwin had many close connections with medical men, and made a number of observations on inherited diseases, clearly describing the inheritance of sex-linked diseases, inherited diseases at corresponding ages, infectious disease and the causes of diseases. Darwin's Pangenesis provides an alternative explanation for cancer metastasis, and is now supported by the discovery of circulating tumour DNA. The "genometastasis hypothesis" proposed by Garcia-Olmo etal. is consistent with Pangenesis. Darwin's view of animal regeneration and his pangenetic explanation is also supported by the recent finding regarding the role of small RNAs and extracellular vesicles in regeneration. There is increasing evidence for genetic information exchange between the donor and recipient cells during transplantation, supporting Darwin's "graft hybridization" concept that gemmules released from the cells of the stock (or scion) could move into the scion (or stock) and incorporated into their cells. In addition, there is also increasing evidence for transposition of the viscera. It appears to me that there is a need to expand the concept of Darwinian medicine by incorporating Darwin's Pangenesis into it.