Harnessing evolutionary biology to combat infectious disease

The purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with introductions to several topics central to a modern understanding of human evolutionary biology. Infec tious pathogens have placed critical selective con straints on the evolution of our hominin ancestors, and our own species continues to coevolve with infec tious organisms today. Our understanding of the pro cesses that shaped this evolutionary struggle have changed, and now an adaptationist perspective offered by the discipline of evolutionary medicine helps to shed light on our vulnerabilities to infectious diseases and noninfectious degenerative diseases. It also aids in our understanding of the purpose and outcomes of our coevolutionary conflicts with the microscopic predators that parasitize us. So as to compete in these interactions, we have developed a marvelously complex immune system capable of dynamic, varied responses. Insight into these mechanisms provides fascinating examples of real-time Danvinian processes of survival and fitness maximization in the face of invading competitors within the human host. Interestingly the ontogeny and deployment of these responses are dependent on several factors, including genetic and ecological constraints.

Evolutionary Applications, 2008

Of evolutionary biology's many practical applications, those in medicine are the most obvious and potentially the most important. So far, however, medicine, nursing and public health have made use of only a fraction of what evolution has to offer. The magnitude of the gap is impressive. Studies of medical education found that most medical schools in the UK and the USA have not one evolutionary biologist on the faculty (Nesse and Schiffman

Evolution: Education and Outreach, 2011

Evolution: Education and Outreach, 2011

Science teachers can use examples and concepts from evolutionary medicine to teach the three concepts central to evolution: common descent, the processes or mechanisms of evolution, and the patterns produced by descent with modification. To integrate medicine into common ancestry, consider how the evolutionary past of our (or any) species affects disease susceptibility. That humans are bipedal has produced substantial changes in our musculoskeletal system, as well as causing problems for childbirth. Mechanisms such as natural selection are well exemplified in evolutionary medicine, as both disease-causing organism and their targets adapt to one another. Teachers often use examples such as antibiotic resistance to teach natural selection: it takes little alteration of the lesson plan to make explicit that evolution is key to understanding the principles involved. Finally, the pattern of evolution can be illustrated through evolutionary medicine because organisms sharing closer ancestry also share greater susceptibility to the same disease-causing organisms. Teaching evolution using examples from evolutionary medicine can make evolution more interesting and relevant to students, and quite probably, more acceptable as a valid science.

Evolutionary applications, 2018

Modern biomedicine has contributed remarkably to the reduction of infectious diseases worldwide, including the eradication of smallpox and the control of common childhood diseases (e.g., polio, measles, rubella) that once claimed millions of lives and caused suffering of tens of millions. This has been made possible through improved diagnostics, surveillance, therapeutics, vaccines, and an associated health system infrastructure. These achievements can be largely

Evolution: Education and Outreach, 2008

Evolutionary studies suggest that the potential for rapid emergence of novel host–parasite associations is a “built-in feature” of the complex phenomenon that is Darwinian evolution. The current Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) crisis is thus a new manifestation of an old and repeating phenomenon. There is evidence that previous episodes of global climate change and ecological perturbation, broadly defined, throughout earth history have been associated with environmental disruptions that produce episodic bursts of new host–parasite associations, each of which would have been called an EID at the time of its first appearance. This perspective implies that there are many evolutionary accidents waiting to happen, requiring only the catalyst of climate change, species introductions, and the intrusion of humans into areas they have never inhabited before.

Evolutionary medicine is a set of concepts and tools with which to address medical problems. This young science asks novel questions, starting from why the human body is vulnerable to diseases to how to exploit evolutionary dynamics to improve cancer therapy. In an attempt to assess why, how, and to what extent evolutionary medicine sheds light on medical issues, this article reviews (1) the conceptual tools borrowed from evolutionary biology and their medical relevance, (2) how evolutionary medicine is evolving and its main criticisms, and (3) what practical medical applications are or can be derived.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010

New applications of evolutionary biology in medicine are being discovered at an accelerating rate, but few physicians have sufficient educational background to use them fully. This article summarizes suggestions from several groups that have considered how evolutionary biology can be useful in medicine, what physicians should learn about it, and when and how they should learn it. Our general conclusion is that evolutionary biology is a crucial basic science for medicine. In addition to looking at established evolutionary methods and topics, such as population genetics and pathogen evolution, we highlight questions about why natural selection leaves bodies vulnerable to disease. Knowledge about evolution provides physicians with an integrative framework that links otherwise disparate bits of knowledge. It replaces the prevalent view of bodies as machines with a biological view of bodies shaped by evolutionary processes. Like other basic sciences, evolutionary biology needs to be taught both before and during medical school. Most introductory biology courses are insufficient to establish competency in evolutionary biology. Premedical students need evolution courses, possibly ones that emphasize medically relevant aspects. In medical school, evolutionary biology should be taught as one of the basic medical sciences. This will require a course that reviews basic principles and specific medical applications, followed by an integrated presentation of evolutionary aspects that apply to each disease and organ system. Evolutionary biology is not just another topic vying for inclusion in the curriculum; it is an essential foundation for a biological understanding of health and disease.

SAMJ-South …, 2007

"Evolutionary theory, which gave rise to a new discipline named Darwinian medicine, has had a major impact on modern medical research and practice. This paper focuses on phenomena such as evolved host defences, evolution of virulence, genetic conflicts with other organisms, adaptations to novel environments, and tradeoffs and constraints in biological systems."