Research Highlights in 2011

Expression of an antisense transcript from the imprintedH19gene is implicated in tumour suppression.

Two new studies propose a role for splicing deregulation in tumorigenesis.

A recentNaturepaper describes a new function for BRCA1 in regulating the silencing of pericentric heterochromatin.

Bradner, Mitsiades and colleagues show that inhibition of BET family proteins with the small-molecule inhibitor JQ1 selectively represses the expression ofMYC,and MYC and E2F1 target genes.

Two recent papers have shown that EMT can be driven by both alternative splicing and chromatin modification.

ThisNaturepaper shows that inhibition of haem oxygenase 1 is synthetic lethal in kidney cells lacking the tumour suppressor fumarate hydratase.

A new mathematical model of phenotypic equilibrium indicates that stochastic transitions between basal, luminal and stem cell phenotypes in breast cancer influences tumour evolution.

Two new studies suggest that aneuploidy can promote genomic instability and tumorigenesis.

A cytokine signalling pathway activating the kinase JAK1 generates actomyosin contractility in both tumour cells and surrounding fibroblasts to permit tumour cell migration.

Using unbiased functional genomics and metabolomics methods, two groups have demonstrated the importance of the serine synthesis pathway for tumorigenesis.

Lowe, Vakoc and colleagues show that BRD4 is a key target in MLL-AF9-driven acute myeloid leukaemia and that its inhibition with a small-molecule inhibitor suppresses MYC expression and leukaemogenesis.

Liu and colleagues identify oligodendrocyte precursor cells as the cell of origin for glioma that is caused by inactivating mutations in neurofibromatosis 1 (Nf1) and Trp53.

A new study demonstrates that the natural product piperlongumine may have promising cancer-specific cytotoxicity.

Caveolin 1 induces tumour cells to invade by remodelling the extracellular matrix through RHO-mediated contractility.

AT-rich DNA sequences in the fragile site FRA16C result in slow replication fork progression and a reliance on additional origins of replication.

LCRMP1 promotes the formation of actin filaments and filopodia to enhance cancer cell invasion and metastasis, and is opposed by its isoform CRMP1.

A new study reveals that the oesophageal to intestinal metaplasia observed in Barrett's oesophagus may be caused by oesophageal colonization by a residual embryonic cell population

Two papers report the effects of TET2 deficiency on haematopoiesis in mice and show that TET2 is a pleiotropic regulator of lineage development.

The expression of prostate-specific antigens using viral vectors shows promise for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Physiological expression levels of classic oncogenes induce expression of the antioxidant and detoxifying NRF2 pathway.