The Role Of C-Myb In Gastrointestinal Tract Development And Carcinogenesis

The list of cancers in which c-Myb appears to play a role includes tumours of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, colon, pancreas, melanocytes, brain and breast. This review focuses on the involvement of c-Myb in normal and neoplastic colon cells. Expression of c-myb RNA in rat, mouse and human colons is similar to, or exceeds, that observed in haemopoietic cells. In the colon c-Myb is essential for development, Bcl-2 expression and recovery from cyto-toxic damage. As in the blood system, elongation of c-myb transcripts is tightly regulated in the GI tract. Over expression of c-Myb in colon cell lines blocks differentiation, thus satisfying an important foundation for malignant transformation. c-myb expression increases during colon and oesophageal adenocarcinoma progression and in colon cancer. The level of c-myb expression in GI tract tumours has prognostic significance for patient survival.