Rebuilding the road to cancer (original) (raw)

Nature volume 400, pages 401–402 (1999)Cite this article

After more than 15 years of trying, researchers have managed to convert normal human cells into tumour cells in a culture dish. This achievement should help identify new players in tumour formation, and develop treatments that target them.

We know that the pathway to tumour formation is a multi-step journey involving the accumulation of genetic alterations along the way1. We also know much about the cellular hurdles on this road, and the mutations that allow tumour cells to overcome them. But do we know enough about cancer to allow us to convert normal human cells into fully fledged tumour cells in a culture dish? We do now. Reporting on page 464 of this issue2, researchers in Robert Weinberg's laboratory have combined all that we have learned to effectively turn human cells into tumour cells in the laboratory. They set out to determine the minimum number of defined genetic events required for tumour formation, and have brought an end to an endeavour that began more than 15 years ago.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Figure 1: Genetic events required to convert a normal human cell into a tumour cell.

References

  1. Kinzler, K. W. & Vogelstein, B. Cell 87, 159–170 (1996).
    Google Scholar
  2. Hahn, W. C. et al. Nature 400, 464–468 (1999).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  3. Hayflick, L. & Moorhead, P. S. Exp. Cell Res. 37, 614–636 (1965).
    Google Scholar
  4. Land, H., Parada, L. F. & Weinberg, R. A. Nature 304, 596–602 (1983).
    ADS CAS Google Scholar
  5. Rassoulzadegan, M. et al. Nature 300, 713–718 (1982).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  6. Ruley, H. E. Nature 304, 602–606 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  7. Meyerson, M. et al. Cell 90, 785–795 (1997).
    Google Scholar
  8. Kiyono, T. et al. Nature 396, 84–88 (1998).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  9. Bodnar, A. G. et al. Science 279, 349–352 (1998).
    Google Scholar
  10. Counter, C. M. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 95, 14723–14728 (1998).
    Google Scholar
  11. Morales, C. P. et al. Nature Genet. 21, 115–118 (1999).
    Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité des Virus Oncogènes, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, Paris, Cedex 15 75724, France
    Jonathan B. Weitzman & Moshe Yaniv

Authors

  1. Jonathan B. Weitzman
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. Moshe Yaniv
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weitzman, J., Yaniv, M. Rebuilding the road to cancer.Nature 400, 401–402 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/22637

Download citation

This article is cited by