biostudies-literatureUnknown9(5)Thakur CIdentifying metastatic tumor growth at an early stage has been one of the biggest challenges in the treatment of lung cancer. By genetic lineage tracing approach in a conditional model of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in mice, we demonstrate that cystic lesions represent an early stage of metastatic invasion. We generated a mouse model for NSCLC which incorporated a heritable DsRed fluorescent tag driven by the ubiquitous CAG promoter in the alveolar type II cells of the lung. We found early cystic lesions in a secondary organ (liver) that lacked the expression of <i>bona fide</i> lung makers namely Scgb1a1 and surfactant protein C Sftpc and were DsRed positive hence identifying lung as their source of origin. This demonstrates the significant potential of alveolar type II cells in orOncotarget6518-6535https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5814229biostudies-literatureCysts mark the early stage of metastatic tumor development in non-small cell lung cancer.PMC5814229Thakur CRudel TRapp URfalseCysts mark the early stage of metastatic tumor development in non-small cell lung cancer.Identifying metastatic tumor growth at an early stage has been one of the biggest challenges in the treatment of lung cancer. By genetic lineage tracing approach in a conditional model of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in mice, we demonstrate that cystic lesions represent an early stage of metastatic invasion. We generated a mouse model for NSCLC which incorporated a heritable DsRed fluorescent tag driven by the ubiquitous CAG promoter in the alveolar type II cells of the lung. We found early cystic lesions in a secondary organ (liver) that lacked the expression of <i>bona fide</i> lung makers namely Scgb1a1 and surfactant protein C Sftpc and were DsRed positive hence identifying lung as their source of origin. This demonstrates the significant potential of alveolar type II cells in or2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Jan2025-04-21T14:32:20.726Z2019-03-26T23:03:58ZS-EPMC58142292946408910.18632/oncotarget.23785