A mouse model to study inducible oncogene cooperation in vivo

The current model for cancer development envisions cells under going a series of genetic mutations and/or alterations which result in their inability to respond normally to intracellular and extracellular signals that control proliferation, differentiation and death. The number of required genetic alterations varies for different types of cancer and it is likely that further changes occur during its progression to increased malignancy. Thus, cancer is not a static disease but during the development and progression of tumour, multiple changes occur in two kinds of genes: oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. Oncogene-products can be classified as growth factors, growth factor receptors, Ras oncoproteins, cytoplasmic protein kinases, transcription factors, anti-apoptotic proteins. In particular, the ras oncogene family includes three members: N-ras, K-ras, H-ras . In non-transformed cells, Ras protein, belonging to G-protein family, transduces growth signals from external to the internal environment. In fact, when activated, Ras exchanges GDP with GTP and this allosteric change allows binding of Ras effector molecules and transduction of signalling cascades.R as activity is required for cell cycle progression. In cancer it has been observed that this oncogene is constitutively activated by mutations and induces the cell to enter into cell-cycle also in the absence of growth signals. Among the transcription factors, a gene involved in many tumours is myc. This transcription factor plays a key role in cell proliferation as its target proteins include many positive regulators of the cell-cycle. In tumour cells the protein product of this oncogene is overexpressed. The cooperationb etweenm ultiple oncogenesa nd/orl oss of tumour suppressors from different functional classes is necessary for transformation to proceed. In fact, it was observed that, although overexpression of a single oncogene does not transform wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts, combinations of myc and H-ras VAL12 , can induce cellular ...