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Control of Cell Proliferation and Growth by Myc Proteins

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Cell Cycle Regulation

Part of the book series: Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation ((RESULTS,volume 42))

Abstract

Myc proteins act as signal transducers that alter cell proliferation in dependence on signals from the extracellular environment. In normal cells, the expression of MYC genes is therefore under tight control by growth factor dependent signals. The enormous interest in the function of these proteins is motivated by the observation that the close control of MYC expression is disrupted in a large percentage of human tumors, leading to deregulated expression of Myc proteins. A large body of evidence shows that this deregulation is a major driving force of human tumorigenesis; in cells with deregulated Myc, proliferation often takes place in the complete absence of external stimuli. We will discuss current models to understand Myc function and also potential avenues to selectively interfere with the proliferation of Myc-transformed cells.

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Acknowledgments

Work in the authors' laboratory is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the European Community through the Framework 6 program, the Thyssen- and the Sander-Stiftung, AICR and the Deutsche Krebshilfe.

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Correspondence to Martin Eilers .

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Philipp Kaldis

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Bernard, S., Eilers, M. Control of Cell Proliferation and Growth by Myc Proteins. In: Kaldis, P. (eds) Cell Cycle Regulation. Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation, vol 42. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/400_004

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