Mitotic chromosomal instability and cancer: mouse modelling of the human disease

The stepwise progression from an early dysplastic lesion to full-blown metastatic malignancy is associated with increases in genomic instability. Mitotic chromosomal instability - the inability to faithfully segregate equal chromosome complements to two daughter cells during mitosis - is a widespread phenomenon in solid tumours that is thought to serve as the fuel for tumorigenic progression. How chromosome instability (CIN) arises in tumours and what consequences it has are still, however, hotly debated issues. Here we review the recent literature with an emphasis on models that recapitulate observations from human disease.