Cell polarity and epithelial oncogenesis

Pathologists have long recognized that tumour formation in epithelia leads to disruption of normal epithelial cell polarity. Despite this, few studies have taken advantage of new information on the biogenesis of cell polarity to analyse the process of epithelial oncogenesis. Recent studies of epithelial cell lines now indicate that the pattern of breakdown of polarity during oncogenesis may reflect the way in which normal epithelial cells achieve polarity. These results suggest not only a novel way to study the development of polarity in vitro, but also new ideas for the early detection of cancer.