[Apropos of the studies of Lewis, Nusslein-Volhard and Wieschaus, 1995 Nobel prize winners, on the genetic mechanisms of embryonic development of drosophila. A model for human cancer progression].
EB Lewis, C Nusslein-Volhard and E Wieschaus were the winners of the Nobel prize in 1995 for the discovery of genes controling the embryonic development in drosophila. Drosophila development is dependent on sequential activities of three types of genes: the maternal genes, the segmentation genes, and the homeotic genes which are responsible for the segment identity and finally for the building of the body. Mutations of these genes are spectacular because they affect the body structure formed from individual segments. Therefore, the molecular processes regulating the development of inferior organisms such as yeast or more complex as the vertebrates were elucidated by these three researchers. These early biological mechanisms regulate the cell life through interactions with neighbouring cells. We speculate that any alteration of these processes might be implicated in cancer. Understanding of these molecular mechanisms which control cell interactions in cancer constitutes a basis for definition of new prognostic markers and putatively novel therapeutic approaches.
Cillo
C
C
Département de médecine clinique et expérimentale, université de Naples, Frederico II, Italie.
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics*