Neuroectoderm-Primitive Streak Interactions and Copper Catalysis

Embryogenesis and carcinogenesis are processes involving rapid proliferation with rapid changes in differentiation. Embryogenesis is an orderly, programmed process ultimately giving rise to the full organism. In complete contrast, cancer is without form, symmetry or balance comparable to inappropriate embryogenesis. These two very similar processes are best studied in combination to unravel the possible steps leading to such drastically different outcomes. With this in mind a review of work on tumors highlighting the importance of induction, cell interactions is followed by the effect of copper on cell systems in view of high copper levels in malignancies. The present study utilizes the chick blastoderm, as a rapidly proliferating in vivo organ culture system with active cell interaction as a model for comparison with oncogenesis. The work highlights the fact that the basic cell processes in embryogenesis and oncogenesis are common, and that the chick blastoderm can be profitably used as an organ culture model for the study of proliferation and differentiation. High copper levels have a definite role in oncogenesis and in blocking the effect of various anti mitotic agents.