Hallmarks of Cancer: Interpretation as Carcinogenic Hypercycle

Abstract

The mechanism that is the base of all hallmarks is the genetic instability as a result of continuously occurring mutations and egipenomic DNA modifications in a cancer cell. It cannot be explained by simple accumulation of genome mutations. Continuous mutation and epigenetic modification are only possible as a result of continuous impact of a mutagenic factor. Cyclic DNA replication reaction and/or RNA of mobile genetic elements are this mutagenic agent. These elements are generated as a result of inner-cell chaos of molecular biological processes that is caused by the impact of a cancerogenic factor. After their generation, they can create a hypercyclic link to the cell DNA replication cycle and hence cause mutations and epigenetic modifications in this cell. A new type of selforganisation of inner-cell processes and structures named primary cancerogenic hypercycle is generated. These changes progress, but remain hidden until they affect certain weak points of the cell genome. As a result, additional cyclic processes are generated that support the primary cancerogenic hypercycle and entail the generation of a second-order hypercycle. Hypercycles of the second order and over are hallmarks of cancer, and they ensure a competitive advantage with regard to the cyclic DNA replication reaction of environmental healthy cells. Since this moment, a pre-cancer cell becomes a cancerous one. The primary cancerogenic hypercycle remains a homogenous structure during the whole cancerogenesis. This hypothesis reveals new principles of cancer treatment that are described in the article.