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Tracing the cellular origin of cancer

Nature Cell Biology volume 15, pages 126–134 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Although many genes that lead to different types of cancer when mutated have been identified, the cells that initiate tumour formation following accumulation of these mutations have, until recently, remained elusive. This review explores how mouse genetic lineage-tracing experiments that allow the expression of oncogenes and/or the deletion of tumour suppressor genes in defined cell lineages have been instrumental in defining the cellular origin of different solid tumours in mouse models for various human cancers.

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Figure 1: Genetic approach to define the cellular origin of epithelial cancers.
Figure 2: Multiple cells of origin in epithelial skin cancers.
Figure 3: Cells of origin in basal-like breast and prostate cancers.
Figure 4: Cells of origin in intestinal and lung cancers.

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Acknowledgements

We apologize to those whose work could not be cited due to space constraints. C.B. is investigator of WELBIO and is supported by the FNRS, TELEVIE, the program d'excellence CIBLES of the Wallonia Region, Fondation Contre le Cancer, the ULB foundation, the fond Gaston Ithier, a starting grant of the European Research Council (ERC) and the EMBO Young Investigator Program.

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  1. Cédric Blanpain is at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, IRIBHM and WELBIO, 808 Route de Lennik, Brussels B-1070, Belgium,

    Cédric Blanpain

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Correspondence to Cédric Blanpain.

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Blanpain, C. Tracing the cellular origin of cancer. Nat Cell Biol 15, 126–134 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2657

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