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c-Myc and Activated Ras During Skin Tumorigenesis: Cooperation at the Cancer Stem Cell Level?

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Cancer Stem Cells

Part of the book series: Springer Series on Biofilms ((SCHERING FOUND,volume 2006/5))

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Abstract

Mutations leading to overexpression and activation of the oncogenes Myc and Ras are among the most frequent lesions known to occur in human and murine cancers. These genes are also the pioneering example for oncogene cooperation during tumorigenesis, whereby the anticancer effects of Myc deregulation (apoptosis) and oncogenic Ras (senescence) are antagonized and therefore canceled out by each other. Here I review the role of endogenous and overexpressed c-Myc in murine skin, focusing primarily on epidermal stem cells. In addition, recent data suggesting an essential role for the endogenous c-Myc-p21CIP1 pathway in Ras-driven skin tumorigenesis are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Drs. Thordur Oskarsson, Christelle Adolphe and Anne Wilson for critical comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by grants to A.T. from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Cancer League, and the EU-FP6 Program “INTACT”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), Ch. des Boveresses 155, CH-1066, Epalinges, Switzerland

    A. Trumpp

  2. School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    A. Trumpp

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  1. A. Trumpp
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Correspondence to A. Trumpp .

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O.D. Wiestler B. Haendler D. Mumberg

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Trumpp, A. (2007). c-Myc and Activated Ras During Skin Tumorigenesis: Cooperation at the Cancer Stem Cell Level?. In: Wiestler, O., Haendler, B., Mumberg, D. (eds) Cancer Stem Cells. Springer Series on Biofilms, vol 2006/5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/2789_2007_042

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/2789_2007_042

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