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REVIEW ARTICLE

The first embryo, the origin of cancer and animal phylogeny. VI. The morphogenetic, biomechanical, and evolutionary principles underlying the genesis of the immune system

Jaime Cofre1*
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1 Laboratory of Molecular Embryology and Cancer, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology, and Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina , Brazil
MI, 026270077 https://doi.org/10.36922/MI026270077
Received: 1 July 2026 | Revised: 28 August 2026 | Accepted: 1 September 2026 | Published online: 30 September 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Embryology has long played a foundational role in shaping our scientific understanding of animal evolution. However, the decisive role of embryology in understanding the evolution of the immune system has been inexplicably disregarded in the history of science. This article discusses the role of unicellular holozoans in the genesis of the immune system and, in so doing, reassesses the embryological and evolutionary views of the immune response and inflammation. Discussing the inflammatory response in basal animals has the inherent advantage of simplifying and reframing the true biological purpose underlying the emergence of the immune system as an epithelial morphogenetic process. This article also examines some biophysical and mechanical aspects of the inflammatory response and their direct relationship with cancer. Recognizing this relationship may open a window of opportunity for finding a cure for cancer.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Cancer
Developmental physics
Embryology
Immune system
Inflammation
Unicellular holozoans
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The author states that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Microbes & Immunity, Electronic ISSN: 3029-2883 Print ISSN: 3041-0886, Published by AccScience Publishing
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