Induction of Basal Cell Carcinomas and Trichoepitheliomas in Mice Overexpressing GLI-1

The study demonstrated that overexpression of the transcription factor GLI-1 in transgenic mice led to the development of skin tumors, such as basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and trichoepitheliomas (TEs), similar to human cases. It highlighted that GLI-1 could drive tumor formation independently of mutations in p53 and Ha ras genes, which are commonly associated with skin cancers. The research suggested that GLI-1 might act as a dose-dependent determinant of cell fate during hair follicle development, with varying expression levels leading to different tumor types. The study underscored the potential of GLI-1 as a therapeutic target for BCCs, given its low expression in normal human skin and the lack of a phenotype in Gli-1 knockout mice.