UCSF

Susceptibility to skin cancerSystems genetics approaches are beginning to reveal how inherited genetic variants affect the structure and function of normal tissues, as well as individual susceptibility to diseases. A systems genetics study of skin tumour incidence, using crosses between two strains of mice one of which is susceptible and the other resistant to tumour development, has now been used to map genetic variants that contribute to skin cancer susceptibility. A comparison of gene expression in mutant mice with that in normal skin identifies gene expression motifs that contribute to tissue organization and various biological functions; key features emerging are a candidate master regulator of hair follicle fate, and a regulator of coordinated control of epidermal barrier function, inflammation and tumour susceptibility.