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Perspectives
In Vitro Transformation Models: Modeling Human Cancer
Steffen Heeg, Michaela Doebele, Alexander von Werder and Oliver G. Opitz
volume 5 | issue 6
16 march 2006Pages: 630 - 634
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The development of cancer in humans involves a complex accumulation of genetic events, as mutant alleles of proto-oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, and other genes that control, directly or indirectly, cell proliferation. Different combinations of these genetic alterations are observed in a given human cancer and an ever-increasing number of these genes seem to be involved in the distinct steps of neoplastic transformation. Nevertheless, recent successes in experimental models of immortalization and malignant transformation of human cells indicate that the disruption of a limited number of cellular pathways is sufficient to induce a cancerous phenotype in a wide variety of normal cells. This review will summarize recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of malignant transformation in human cells, which suggest that a series of genetic and cellular principles may govern the formation of most, if not all, types of human cancers. Furthermore, it will give a perspective on the role of in vitro transformation models recapitulating human carcinogenesis.
We now provide open access to journal articles published online for one year or more. This article may be downloaded at the following link:
Download PDF If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.