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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Bioluminescent Orthotopic Model of Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Published on: June 28, 2013
The nucleolus: a central response hub for the stressors that drive cancer progression
Shannon E Weeks1, Brandon J Metge1, Rajeev S Samant2,3
1Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, WTI 320E, 1824 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.
Abstract:
The nucleolus is a sub-nuclear body known primarily for its role in ribosome biogenesis. Increased number and/or size of nucleoli have historically been used by pathologists as a prognostic indicator of cancerous lesions. This increase in nucleolar number and/or size is classically attributed to the increased need for protein synthesis in cancer cells. However, evidences suggest that the nucleolus plays critical roles in many cellular functions in both normal cell biology and disease pathologies, including cancer. As new functions of the nucleolus are elucidated, there is mounting evidence to support the role of the nucleolus in regulating additional cellular functions, particularly response to cellular stressors, maintenance of genome stability, and DNA damage repair, as well as the regulation of gene expression and biogenesis of several ribonucleoproteins. This review highlights the central role of the nucleolus in carcinogenesis and cancer progression and discusses how cancer cells may become "addicted" to nucleolar functions.
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