The Notch pathway in cancer: differentiation gone awry

J Sjölund, C Manetopoulos, MT Stockhausen… - European journal of …, 2005 - Elsevier
J Sjölund, C Manetopoulos, MT Stockhausen, H Axelson
European journal of cancer, 2005Elsevier
The Notch signalling cascade influences several key aspects of normal development by
regulating differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Its association to human cancer is
firmly established in T-cell leukaemia where point mutations or chromosomal translocations
lead to constitutive signalling. Accumulating data indicate that deregulated Notch activity is
involved also in the genesis of other human cancers, such as pancreatic cancer,
medulloblastoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. In these tumours, the oncogenic effect of …
The Notch signalling cascade influences several key aspects of normal development by regulating differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Its association to human cancer is firmly established in T-cell leukaemia where point mutations or chromosomal translocations lead to constitutive signalling. Accumulating data indicate that deregulated Notch activity is involved also in the genesis of other human cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, medulloblastoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. In these tumours, the oncogenic effect of Notch signalling reflects an aberrant recapitulation of the highly tissue-specific function of the cascade during normal development and in tissue homeostasis.
Elsevier