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Oncogenes, Proto-Oncogenes, and Lineage Restriction of Cancer Stem Cells

Geoffrey Brown1

  • 1Institute of Clinical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|September 28, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Oncogenes can drive cancer by disrupting normal cell functions. This review explores how oncogenes affect stem cells, potentially leading to cancer by altering cell lineage and fate.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Oncogenes are mutated proto-oncogenes that drive cancer by deregulating cell proliferation and apoptosis.
  • Cancer stem cell theory posits that cancers originate from transformed tissue-specific stem cells.
  • Stem cells normally maintain tissue homeostasis by generating diverse cell types.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine if cancer arises from stem cells losing versatility.
  • To investigate the role of proto-oncogenes in cell lineage determination.
  • To understand the impact of epigenetic events on cell fate and tumorigenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on oncogenes and cancer stem cells.
  • Analysis of proto-oncogene function in cell lineage.
  • Exploration of epigenetic mechanisms in tumorigenesis.

Main Results:

  • Oncogenes may restrict leukemia stem cells to single lineages, disrupting normal tissue replenishment.
  • Proto-oncogenes appear to influence cell lineage determination.
  • Epigenetic events play a significant role in regulating cell fate and cancer development.

Conclusions:

  • Cancer may represent a loss of stem cell versatility due to oncogenic insults.
  • Proto-oncogenes and epigenetic modifications are critical factors in cancer initiation and progression.
  • Understanding these mechanisms offers new perspectives on cancer etiology and treatment.
Keywords:
epigeneticslineage determinationoncogenesproto-oncogenesstem cells

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