The Malignant Capacity of Skin Tumors Induced by Expression of a Mutant H-Ras Transgene Depends on the Cell Type Targeted

The study investigated the effects of expressing a mutant H-ras oncogene in different epidermal cell types in mice, revealing that targeting hair follicle cells led to the development of benign skin tumors that often progressed to malignant squamous and spindle carcinomas. This contrasted with previous findings where expression in interfollicular cells did not lead to spontaneous malignancy. The study involved 464 animals, with 30% developing skin tumors, highlighting the significant influence of the targeted cell type on the malignant potential of tumors, with hair follicle cells being a primary source of tumors at high risk of malignant conversion.