Stem cells and cancer; the polycomb connection.
Proteins from the Polycomb group (PcG) are epigenetic chromatin modifiers involved in cancer development and also in the maintenance of embryonic and adult stem cells. The therapeutic potential of stem cells and the growing conviction that tumors contain stem cells highlights the importance of understanding the extrinsic and intrinsic circuitry controlling stem cell fate and their connections to cancer.
The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Merel E
ME
Valk-Lingbeek
Sophia W M
SW
Bruggeman
Maarten
M
van Lohuizen
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
C069077:BMI1 protein, human; D002843:Chromatin; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D006657:Histones; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1