Defining Stem Cell Dynamics in Models of Intestinal Tumor Initiation

Abstract

Limiting Tumor Initiation What is the competitive advantage of cells with frequently occurring mutations during tumor development? Vermeulen et al. (p. 995 ; see the Perspective by Bozic and Nowak ) quantified the advantages of Apc -loss, Kras activation, and P53 mutation during tumor initiation in the mouse intestine. The mutations conferred only a limited clonal advantage. Indeed, many mutated stem cells were stochastically replaced by wild-type stem cells, helping to limit tumor initiation.