Published: 26 May 2004 Genome Biology 2004, 5:228 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at © 2004 BioMed Central Ltd reviews Abstract reports Healing wounds and developing tumors are both sites of dynamic interactions between a variety of cell types. Recent microarray studies comparing wounds and tumors have identified characteristic similarities in gene expression that may prove to be useful for assessing cancer prognosis and for choosing subsequent treatment. deposited research Tumors have long been described as sharing many histological features with repairing tissues, an idea that likens them to wounds that do not heal. | Minireview Common ground in the transcriptional profiles of wounds and tumors Richard Grose Address Cancer Research UK London Research Institute 61 Lincoln s Inn Fields London WC2A 3PX UK. E-mail Published 26 May 2004 Genome Biology 2004 5 228 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http 2004 5 6 228 2004 BioMed Central Ltd Abstract Healing wounds and developing tumors are both sites of dynamic interactions between a variety of cell types. Recent microarray studies comparing wounds and tumors have identified characteristic similarities in gene expression that may prove to be useful for assessing cancer prognosis and for choosing subsequent treatment. Tumors have long been described as sharing many histological features with repairing tissues an idea that likens them to wounds that do not heal 1 . Such an analogy is tempting as in both cases cell proliferation survival and migration - in response to a cocktail of growth factors and cytokines - is accompanied by an inflammatory and angiogenic response 2 . Signals facilitating survival and invasion come from many sources in the tumor environment with tumor cells fibroblasts and endothelial cells producing various growth and differentiation factors extracellular matrix proteins and proteases. These signals together with other factors such as signaling mediated by cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions activate a wide range of intracellular signaling cascades to affect cell motility and survival 3 . At a wound site various cell types release the same growth factors and proteases activating similar downstream signaling pathways 4 . Microarray analysis allows the screening of thousands of genes without a prior knowledge of or bias for which genes might be involved in the process being studied. It also allows the identification of panels of genes rather than individual ones which may give a more complete picture of the process under
