Pathology and social interactions: Safety in numbers

(CNRS) What if social behavior affected the progression of even noncontagious diseases? This is precisely what has been demonstrated by French CNRS teams, with support from IRD, CEA, Paris-Sud and Montpellier universities, and colleagues from Spain and Australia. Using a fly model of intestinal cancer, the researchers have shown that disease progression is impacted both by social isolation -- which has a negative effect -- and the composition of the social group with which individuals associate.