Editor's Summary
3 January 2008
Down's syndrome cancers
Some epidemiological studies have suggested that individuals with Down's syndrome (who carry three copies of chromosome 21, known as trisomy 21) show a reduced incidence of solid tumours. Other studies failed to confirm this. Experiments in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down's syndrome, trisomic for about 100 genes, may have resolved these contradictory findings. They reveal that trisomy for a subset of mouse equivalents of chromosome 21 genes reduces the incidence of some intestinal tumours, yet the presence of one copy of the same genes increases the number of tumours. The dosage-dependent effect is attributed to the Ets2 transcription factor. So Ets2, known until now as an oncogene, is also a tumour repressor, and is a potential target for anticancer prophylaxis.
News and Views: Down's syndrome: Paradox of a tumour repressor
Having three copies of chromosome 21 reduces the incidence of solid tumours in people with Down's syndrome. Studies in mice provide clues to why, and highlight a complex gene–function relationship.
David W. Threadgill
doi:10.1038/451021a
Letter: Trisomy represses ApcMin-mediated tumours in mouse models of Down's syndrome
Thomas E. Sussan, Annan Yang, Fu Li, Michael C. Ostrowski & Roger H. Reeves
doi:10.1038/nature06446
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (221K) | Supplementary information
