Drosophila Neoplasias: Clues Towards the Understanding of Human Cancers

A large number of tumor suppressor genes have been identified in Drosophila. Mutations in these genes cause effects in a wide range of tissues resulting in hyperplastic and, in the case of a few specific genes, neoplastic growth. The study of these tumors can provide molecular and cellular information that may shed some light on the possible mechanisms of tumorigenesis and invasiveness of human tumor cells. Recently, several studies have shown links between homologs of Drosophila tumor suppressor genes and human cancer. These recent advances are reviewed.