Winners take it all: turning cell competition into a therapeutic ally

Recent discoveries in the field of cell competition have brought this phenomenon into the spotlight due to its potential to inspire novel therapeutic approaches for previously incurable diseases. Cell competition, a process observed across multicellular organisms, acts as a natural quality control mechanism in which unfit, abnormal, or malignant cells are actively eliminated by neighboring, healthy-fit cells. However, the mechanisms and outcomes of cell competition are highly context-dependent, influenced by the environment, developmental stage, and specific tissue involved. Emerging research also highlights a darker aspect where cancer cells can hijack cell competition to their advantage, promoting tumor growth and progression. A deeper understanding of cell competition opens up a wide range of therapeutic possibilities for diseases that currently lack effective treatments. Given its specificity and context-dependence, we categorize these therapeutic opportunities based on the physiological settings in which cell competition occurs.