Genetic heterogeneity of Myc-induced mammary tumors reflecting diverse phenotypes including metastatic potential.

ABSTRACT: Human cancers result from a complex series of genetic alterations, resulting in heterogeneous disease states. Dissecting this heterogeneity is critical for understanding underlying mechanisms and providing opportunities for therapeutics matching the complexity. Mouse models of cancer have generally been used to reduce this complexity and focus on the role of single genes. Nevertheless, our analysis of tumors arising in the MMTV-Myc model of mammary carcinogenesis reveals substantial heterogeneity, seen in both histological and expression phenotypes. One contribution to this heterogeneity is the substantial frequency of activating Ras mutations. Additionally, we show that these Myc-induced mammary tumors exhibit even greater heterogeneity, revealed by distinct histological subtypes as well

SUBMITTER: Andrechek ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2752567 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature