Review

Nature Reviews Cancer 5, 699-712 (September 2005) | doi:10.1038/nrc1696

Wilms' tumour: connecting tumorigenesis and organ development in the kidney

Miguel N. Rivera1,2 & Daniel A. Haber1  About the authors

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Wilms' tumour, or nephroblastoma, is a common childhood tumour that is intimately linked to early kidney development and is often associated with persistent embryonic renal tissue and other kidney abnormalities. WT1, the first gene found to be inactivated in Wilms' tumour, encodes a transcription factor that functions as both a tumour suppressor and a critical regulator of renal organogenesis. Our understanding of the roles of WT1 in tumour formation and organogenesis have advanced in parallel, providing a striking example of the intersection between tumour biology, cellular differentiation and normal organogenesis.

Author affiliations

  1. Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
    Email: mnrivera@partners.org; Email: helix@mgh.harvard.edu
  2. Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.

Published online 19 August 2005

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