378: Type VII Collagen Is Required for Ras-Driven Human Epidermal Tumorigenesis -- Ortiz-Urda et al. 307 (5716): 1773 -- Science

Type VII Collagen Is Required for Ras-Driven Human Epidermal Tumorigenesis -- Ortiz-Urda et al. 307 (5716): 1773 -- Science:

Type VII collagen defects cause recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), a blistering skin disorder often accompanied by epidermal cancers. To study the role of collagen VII in these cancers, we examined Ras-driven tumorigenesis in RDEB keratinocytes. Cells devoid of collagen VII did not form tumors in mice, whereas those retaining a specific collagen VII fragment (the amino-terminal noncollagenous domain NC1) were tumorigenic

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