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Review

Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 846–856 (1 November 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrc1991

Polycomb silencers control cell fate, development and cancer

Anke Sparmann & Maarten van Lohuizen

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic gene silencers that are implicated in neoplastic development. Their oncogenic function might be associated with their well-established role in the maintenance of embryonic and adult stem cells. In this review, we discuss new insights into the possible mechanisms by which PcGs regulate cellular identity, and speculate how these functions might be relevant during tumorigenesis.