2020 Articles

The Importance of Being Modest

Pollack, Robert

In "The Importance of Being Modest," Robert Pollack delves into the concept of reversion, particularly within the context of cancer research, as a powerful example of how Darwin's principles of natural selection and inherited variability apply to modern science. Reversion refers to the phenomenon where cells that have undergone malignant transformation revert to a more normal, non-cancerous state. Pollack draws on historical experiments by scientists like Salvador Luria, Max Delbrück, and Joshua and Esther Lederberg, who demonstrated that genetic mutations, including those that confer resistance to viruses or antibiotics, arise randomly and are inherited in a stable manner.

Pollack extends this concept to his own research from the 1960s through the 1980s, where he investigated whether cancer cells could spontaneously revert to a non-tumorigenic state. His experiments confirmed that within a population of cloned tumor cells, a small percentage—about 1 in 100,000—could indeed revert to normal growth control, a finding consistent with the frequency of random genetic mutations observed in the earlier bacterial studies.

This idea of reversion has significant implications for cancer treatment. Pollack suggests that instead of solely focusing on killing cancer cells, researchers could explore ways to induce reversion, thereby restoring normal growth control in cancerous cells. Such an approach could potentially prevent the progression of tumors without the collateral damage often caused by conventional therapies like chemotherapy or radiation.

Pollack underscores the need for humility in this research, acknowledging that the random, unpredictable nature of genetic mutations challenges the traditional, deterministic views of science. He advocates for a research paradigm that prioritizes understanding and learning from these natural processes rather than attempting to impose control over them. By embracing the concept of reversion, scientists might uncover novel, less destructive ways to manage cancer, rooted in the inherent variability and adaptability of life itself.