Stem Cells, Vol 11, 194-198, Copyright © 1993 by AlphaMed Press
Prognostic significance of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in human malignancy
DA Spandidos, T Liloglou and JK Field
Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece.
Recent progress in the field of oncogenes has produced valuable information
concerning the molecular and cellular biology of the cancer cell and
provided a tool to investigate the process of carcinogenesis. Some
oncogenes such as the ras, myc, erbB-2 and abl have been extensively
investigated in the progression of carcinogenesis in several types of human
tumors. The p53 tumor suppressor gene has recently been shown to play the
role of "molecular policeman," and is obviously important in the
development of many tumors, as mutations in this gene are the most common
genetic abnormalities found in all neoplasias. In certain cases the
incidence of aberrant gene expression and genetic alterations of oncogenes
and tumor suppressor genes have been shown to be important in the
progression of these cancers and may be of use as prognostic indicators and
form the basis for a successful therapy.
