Abstract IA27: Tumor suppressor and tumor maintenance genes

Cancer arises through an evolutionary process whereby normal cells acquire mutations that erode growth controls, leading to the expansion of aberrantly proliferating cells. Such mutations activate oncogenes or inactivate tumor suppressors, each bestowing new capabilities to emerging tumors. Still, cancer is not an inevitable consequence of mutation but is instead kept in check by intrinsic tumor-suppressor programs activated in damaged cells. Accordingly, our laboratory studies such mechanisms in order to reveal key regulatory nodes controlling basic cellular processes and to identify the strategies nature uses to combat cancer. More recently, our interests have expanded to explore the action of tumor maintenance genes---those genes needed to sustain the proliferation and survival of malignant cancer cells---with the goal of identifying cancer vulnerabilities and therapeutic targets. Our approach combines powerful mouse models, genetics, and genomics in a coordinated manner that allows us to study tumor suppressor and tumor maintenance networks in a comprehensive way. Recent efforts to combine these tools towards the production of flexible and accurate mouse models and their subsequent use to identify and characterize tumor suppressor and tumor maintenance genes will be discussed. Citation Format: Scott W. Lowe. Tumor suppressor and tumor maintenance genes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference held in cooperation with the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) on Translational Cancer Medicine; May 4-6, 2017; Sao Paulo, Brazil. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(1_Suppl):Abstract nr IA27.