Mouse models of cancer as biological filters for complex genomic data.
Genetically and pathologically accurate mouse models of leukemia and lymphoma have been developed in recent years. Adoptive transfer of genetically modified hematopoietic progenitor cells enables rapid and highly controlled gain- and loss-of-function studies for these types of cancer. In this Commentary, we discuss how these highly versatile experimental approaches can be used as biological filters to pinpoint transformation-relevant activities from complex cancer genome data. We anticipate that the functional identification of genetic 'drivers' using mouse models of leukemia and lymphoma will facilitate the development of molecular diagnostics and mechanism-based therapies for patients that suffer from these diseases.
Oricchio
Elisa
E
Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Wolfe
Andrew L
AL
Schatz
Jonathan H
JH
Mavrakis
Konstantinos J
KJ
Wendel
Hans-Guido
HG
D000818:Animals; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics*; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical