Induction of Basal Cell Carcinomas and Trichoepitheliomas in Mice Overexpressing GLI-1
March 2000
in “
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
”
TLDR Overexpressing GLI-1 in mice skin can cause tumors like human basal cell carcinomas.
The study demonstrated that mice overexpressing the human Cubitus interruptus homolog GLI-1 in their skin developed tumors similar to human basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and other hair follicle-derived neoplasias, such as trichoepitheliomas. This indicated that increased GLI-1 expression was central and likely sufficient for tumor development, independent of additional mutations in p53 or Ha ras genes. The research highlighted the role of the Sonic hedgehog/Patched signaling pathway and its transcriptional activation in the development of BCCs, drawing parallels with similar mechanisms in Drosophila.
