Cancer as a complex developmental disorder--nineteenth Cornelius P. Rhoads Memorial Award Lecture.
The processes of differentiation and tumorigenesis have been long thought to be connected. The recent identification of Patched, a gene essential for Drosophila embryonic development, as a tumor suppressor has focused attention on the concept that tumorigenesis involves abnormalities of development. In fact, a large number of genes in the signalling pathway of the Patched gene are either tumor suppressors or oncogenes. This supports the concept that growth control is a critical requirement of differentiation, and that aberrant cellular development can contribute to malignancy. Whereas the identification of genes that result in dominantly inherited cancer syndromes has played a vital role in understanding cancer, the vast majority of "sporadic" cancers have properties of a complex genetic disease. Approaches to identify common alleles in cancer-associated genes promise to increase our understanding of the disease and aid the rational design of preventative and therapeutic strategies.
Dean
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Human Genetics Section, Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21702, USA. dean@fcrfv1.ncifcrf.gov
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005796:Genes; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012306:Risk; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta