The Notch pathway in cancer: differentiation gone awry.
The Notch signalling cascade influences several key aspects of normal development by regulating differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Its association to human cancer is firmly established in T-cell leukaemia where point mutations or chromosomal translocations lead to constitutive signalling. Accumulating data indicate that deregulated Notch activity is involved also in the genesis of other human cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, medulloblastoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. In these tumours, the oncogenic effect of Notch signalling reflects an aberrant recapitulation of the highly tissue-specific function of the cascade during normal development and in tissue homeostasis.
Sjölund
Jonas
J
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, University Hospital MAS, Entrance 78, 3rd Floor, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden.
Manetopoulos
Christina
C
Stockhausen
Marie-Thérése
MT
Axelson
Håkan
H
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D051880:Receptors, Notch