Forward genetic screens in mice uncover mediators and suppressors of metastatic reactivation

Significance Insights into the mechanisms that enable disseminated cancer cells to survive during dormancy and then outgrow into life-threatening lesions may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for the prevention or treatment of metastatic disease. We have developed flexible and high-throughput functional genetic screens, which enable the identification of single genetic entities that mediate metastatic reactivation of breast cancer in mice. These screens promise to facilitate the identification of the core signaling pathways that govern metastatic dormancy and reactivation.