Abstract

One-third of patients with breast cancer overexpress the ERBB2 receptor tyrosine kinase, which is associated not only with a more aggressive phenotype but also reduced responsiveness to hormonal therapies. Over the past two decades, many ERBB2 mouse models for breast cancer have conclusively shown that this receptor has a causal role in breast cancer development. These mouse models have also enabled the mechanisms controlling tumour growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, dormancy and recurrence in ERBB2-positive breast cancer to be elucidated. In addition, a mouse model has recently been described that accurately recapitulates many of the hallmarks associated with the early stages of the human disease.

Author affiliations

1. Josie Ursini-Siegel, Babette Schade, and William J. Muller are at the Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1A1, Canada.
2. Robert D. Cardiff is at the Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA.

Correspondence to: William J. Muller¹ Email: william.muller@mcgill.ca

Published online 19 April 2007

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