Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2025
09:30
A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment
Published on: June 8, 2015
18.5K
Early Social Enrichment Modulates Tumor Progression and p53 Expression in Adult Mice
Silvia Middei1,2, Ludovica Giorgini1,3, Valentina Vacca1
1Institute Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 00015 Monterotondo, Italy.
Biomolecules
|April 23, 2022
Summary
Early life environmental enrichment, providing enhanced parental care, significantly delays tumor development in mice. This protection is linked to increased wild-type p53 protein and its target p21 levels, suggesting a molecular mechanism for cancer resilience.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Developmental Psychology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Psychological stress negatively impacts cancer progression, while well-being offers protection.
- Mechanisms underlying cancer protection in psychologically healthy states are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of early life environmental enrichment on tumor susceptibility.
- To explore the molecular mechanisms, including p53 pathway involvement, in early life care-mediated cancer protection.
Main Methods:
- C57BL/6J mouse pups were raised in enriched (Lactating and non-Lactating mothers - LnL) or control (Lactating mother only - L) conditions.
- Adult mice were injected with 3-methylcolantrene (3MCA) to induce fibrosarcomas, and tumor onset/progression were monitored.
- Levels of wild-type p53 protein and its target p21 were analyzed in tumor and muscle tissues.
Main Results:
- LnL mice received more parental care and exhibited greater resilience to early life stress.
- Tumor onset was significantly delayed in adult LnL mice compared to L controls.
- Increased wild-type p53 and p21 levels were observed in LnL mice, particularly in healthy muscle tissue.
Conclusions:
- Early life enhanced parental care confers protection against tumor development.
- The p53 pathway may play a crucial role in mediating the anti-tumorigenic effects of early life enrichment.
- This study supports a model where early life care enhances resilience to cancer susceptibility.
More Related Videos
08:14A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model
Published on: February 28, 2018
8.9K
08:32Enrichment and Characterization of the Tumor Immune and Non-immune Microenvironments in Established Subcutaneous Murine Tumors
Published on: June 7, 2018
9.7K
Related Concept Videos
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
4.7K
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...
4.7K
02:43Mouse Models of Cancer Study
5.7K
Mice have long served as models for studying human biology and pathology because of their phylogenetic and physiological similarity with humans. They are also easy to maintain and breed in the laboratory, and hence, many inbred strains are now available for research. Studies on mice have contributed immeasurably to our understanding of cancer biology.
The development of transgenic, knockout, and knock-in mice has led to an exponential increase in their use as model organisms in research,...
The development of transgenic, knockout, and knock-in mice has led to an exponential increase in their use as model organisms in research,...
5.7K
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
6.8K
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
6.8K
02:07Tumor Progression
6.5K
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
6.5K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
3.9K
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...
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.9K
01:19Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
6.6K
Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
6.6K