Cell competition: A historical perspective

Cell competition is a homeostatic process designed to remove from animal tissues viable cells that are unfit, abnormal or malignant and that may compromise the general fitness or the viability of the organism. Originally discovered in Drosophila in the mid-seventies of last century, there is strong evidence that it also occurs in other metazoans, where cell competition appears to play a similar surveillance role. In this review I summarize the field of cell competition, with special emphasis in the history of the phenomenon within the general frame of Developmental Biology in the second half of the XX century, pointing out the key observations and the evolution of ideas that have led to the current understanding.

Automated summary

Cell competition is a homeostatic process that removes unfit, abnormal, or malignant cells from animal tissues in order to maintain overall fitness. This phenomenon was originally discovered in Drosophila and has been observed in other metazoans, contributing to significant advancements in the field of Developmental Biology.