( eloped tumors in the stomach. None of t...)Research Using Mouse Models Reveals A Novel Key Player In The Initiation Of Colon Cancer

eloped tumors in the stomach. None of the tumors seen in either case were invasive leading to the conclusion that the Foxl1deficiency affects early stages in tumor formation. Additional analysis revealed that the Foxl1 deficiency affected the onset of tumor formation, accelerating them to arise in 1/3rd of the normal time. The authors examined the integrity of the APC gene in these tumor cells and found that more than ninety per cent of the tumors had lost the normal copy of the APC gene and now were completely deficient.

What is the significance of these results on understanding the initiation of colon cancer? A deficiency of Foxl1 in the mesenchymal layer of the colon leads to altered signaling to the epithelium layer and results in increased cell proliferation and turnover of this layer. In people with a genetic predisposition, like those with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, or environmental stress that generates a spontaneous mutation in the APC gene, mutations in the Foxl1 gene or its targets may dramatically increase the likelihood that the second normal copy of the APC gene is lost or mutated, leading to the initiation of tumor formation.

This study sets a new paradigm for gastrointestinal tumorigenesis, in that genetic events outside the epithelial layer itself have a profound effect on tumor initiation. Thus it appears likely that this study will foster additional research into other mesenchymal genetic modifiers, and into potential therapeutic approaches that affect the signaling between the two cell layers.

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Source:ScienceDaily


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