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Nature Reviews Cancer 8, 829 (1 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrc2530

Tumorigenesis: Keeping a watchful eye

Safia Ali Danovi

Disruptions in the delicate balance between keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation can contribute towards the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin — a common human malignancy. It has been proposed that innate surveillants, molecules that promote terminal keratinocyte differentiation, exist in the skin to prevent carcinogenesis, but the conclusive identification of such proteins has not yet been achieved.