Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Analysis of Combinatorial miRNA Treatments to Regulate Cell Cycle and Angiogenesis
11:44

Analysis of Combinatorial miRNA Treatments to Regulate Cell Cycle and Angiogenesis

Published on: March 30, 2019

8.1K

Family matters: How MYC family oncogenes impact small cell lung cancer

Johannes Brägelmann1,2, Stefanie Böhm1,2, Matthew R Guthrie3

  • 1a Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.

Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|July 25, 2017
PubMed

Insights

MYC activation drives sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibitors in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), offering a targeted therapy option. This review compares MYC family members for SCLC treatment implications.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

  • Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited targeted treatment strategies.
  • Recent molecular profiling of SCLC has unveiled new biological insights and potential therapeutic avenues.
  • MYC activation has been identified as a key driver in SCLC, influencing treatment responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the distinct molecular features of the three MYC family members (MYC, MYCN, MYCL).
  • To explore the implications of these molecular differences for targeted therapy in SCLC.
  • To highlight the unique sensitivity of MYC-driven SCLC to Aurora kinase inhibitors.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of MYC family member molecular characteristics.
  • Review of preclinical and clinical data on Aurora kinase inhibition in SCLC models.
  • Literature review of SCLC molecular subtypes and therapeutic targets.

Main Results:

  • MYC activation confers susceptibility to Aurora kinase inhibitors in SCLC.
  • This sensitivity is specific to MYC-driven SCLC, distinguishing it from MYCN and MYCL.
  • Aurora kinase inhibition represents a potential targeted treatment for a subset of SCLC patients.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting MYC-driven SCLC with Aurora kinase inhibitors is a promising therapeutic strategy.
  • Understanding the differential roles of MYC family members is crucial for personalized SCLC treatment.
  • Further research into MYC family biology may unlock novel therapeutic approaches for SCLC.
Keywords:
GEMMMYCMYCLMYCNSCLCmouse modelssmall cell lung cancer

More Related Videos

Focus Formation: A Cell-based Assay to Determine the Oncogenic Potential of a Gene08:18

Focus Formation: A Cell-based Assay to Determine the Oncogenic Potential of a Gene

Published on: December 31, 2014

28.9K
Methods for Evaluating the Role of c-Fos and Dusp1 in Oncogene Dependence10:09

Methods for Evaluating the Role of c-Fos and Dusp1 in Oncogene Dependence

Published on: January 7, 2019

8.8K

Related Concept Videos

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
5.7K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
5.3K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.9K
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
8.2K
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
11.6K
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
15.1K