Wang E, Lenferink A, O'Connor-McCourt M
Computational Chemistry and Biology Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, H4P 2R2, Canada.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2007 Jul;64(14):1752-62. doi: 10.1007/s00018-007-7054-6.
Genomic alterations lead to cancer complexity and form a major hurdle for comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying oncogenesis. In this review, we describe recent advances in studying cancer-associated genes from a systems biology point of view. The integration of known cancer genes onto protein and signaling networks reveals the characteristics of cancer genes within networks. This approach shows that cancer genes often function as network hub proteins which are involved in many cellular processes and form focal nodes in information exchange between many signaling pathways. Literature mining allows constructing gene-gene networks, in which new cancer genes can be identified. The gene expression profiles of cancer cells are used for reconstructing gene regulatory networks. By doing so, genes which are involved in the regulation of cancer progression can be picked up from these networks, after which their functions can be further confirmed in the laboratory.
基因组改变导致癌症的复杂性，成为全面理解肿瘤发生分子机制的主要障碍。在本综述中，我们从系统生物学的角度描述了研究癌症相关基因的最新进展。将已知的癌症基因整合到蛋白质和信号网络中，可以揭示网络中癌症基因的特征。这种方法表明，癌症基因通常作为网络枢纽蛋白发挥作用，参与许多细胞过程，并在许多信号通路之间的信息交换中形成焦点节点。文献挖掘有助于构建基因-基因网络，从中可以识别出新的癌症基因。癌细胞的基因表达谱用于重建基因调控网络。通过这样做，可以从这些网络中筛选出参与癌症进展调控的基因，之后可以在实验室中进一步确认它们的功能。
