All normal human tissues acquire mutations over time. Some of these mutations may be driver mutations that promote the development of cancer through increased proliferation and survival, while other mutations may be neutral passenger mutations that have no impact on cancer development. Currently, it is unclear how the normal self-renewal process of the skin called homeostasis impacts the development and evolution of gene mutations in cells. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Moffitt Cancer Center used mathematical and computer modeling to demonstrate the impact of skin homeostasis on driver and passenger mutations.