Ornithine Decarboxylase Overexpression Is a Sufficient Condition for Tumor Promotion in Mouse Skin

The study demonstrated that overexpression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in mouse skin was sufficient to promote tumor formation. Transgenic mice with high levels of ODC expression in epidermal keratinocytes were more susceptible to tumor initiation with a single low dose of carcinogen, and they did not require additional tumor promoters for tumor development. The research suggested that the primary target cells for chemical carcinogens in the skin were located in hair follicles, and that ODC overexpression could activate these cells to form epidermal tumors.