Early cancer intervention relies on identifying the molecular signals that transform precancerous cells into tumors. Preneoplastic cells (PNCs) have been identified in the patched (ptc) mutant mouse, which is a model for medulloblastoma. Interestingly, only 15% of these mice develop tumors, but the variable susceptibility to disease is not understood. In order to study the fate of non-transformed PNCs in vivo, researchers created and studied ptc mutant mice that express a reporter gene to trace PNCs during development. They found that PNCs could give rise to tumors, but primarily differentiate. They also found that N-myc promotes tumor progression and might be a key determinant of tumorigenesis.
Kessler JD, Hasegawa H, Brun SN, Yang ZJ, Dutton JW, Wang F, Wechsler-Reya RJ N-myc alters the fate of preneoplastic cells in a mouse model of medulloblastoma. Genes Dev. 23, 157– 170.
2009
