Imaging Approaches in Cancer Biology.

A majority of cancer research is focused on defining the cellular and molecular basis of cancer cells and the signals that control oncogenic transformation; as a consequence, we know very little about the dynamic behavior of cancer cells in vivo. To begin to view and understand the mechanisms and interactions that control cancer initiation, growth, and metastatic progression and how these processes are influenced by the microenvironment and the signals derived from it, it is essential to develop strategies that allow imaging of the cancer cells in the context of the living microenvironment. Here, we discuss emerging work designed to visualize how cancer cells function within the microenvironment to discover how these interactions act coordinately to enable aberrant growth and to understand how they could be targeted to design new approaches to intercept the disease.

Identification of a Musashi2 translocation as a novel oncogene in myeloid leukemia.

Myeloid leukemias, diseases marked by aggressiveness and poor outcomes, are frequently triggered by oncogenic translocations. In the case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) the BCR-ABL fusion initiates chronic phase disease with second hits allowing progression to blast crisis. Although Gleevec has been transformative for CML, blast crisis CML remains relatively drug resistant.

Single-cell mapping identifies MSI cells as a common origin for diverse subtypes of pancreatic cancer.

Identifying the cells from which cancers arise is critical for understanding the molecular underpinnings of tumor evolution. To determine whether stem/progenitor cells can serve as cells of origin, we created a Msi2-Cre knock-in mouse. When crossed to CAG-LSL-Myc mice, Msi2-Cre mice developed multiple pancreatic cancer subtypes: ductal, acinar, adenosquamous, and rare anaplastic tumors.