Somatic evolution of metabolic reprograming: mutation limited or selection limited?

<jats:p>Somatic mutations can potentially be responsible for metabolic reprogramming, but the crucial question is whether the evolution would be mutation limited or selection limited. Mathematical and statistical considerations make the case for selection limited evolution stronger, e.g. somatic evolution of cancer is shown to be selection limited than mutation limited. Although some insights are developing into the selection on cancer causing mutations, we have no idea how selection might work on mutations altering metabolic regulation. Therfore the argument for metabolic reprogramming by somatic evolution is only a speculation at present and a focus on selection mechanisms can only make it stronger.</jats:p>