Description
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic silencers whose dysregulation is frequently linked to cancer via mechanisms that remain unclear. Using conditional knock-out mice in a colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) model, we found that Bmi1 and Mel18 are important initiation and maintenance factors during CAC tumorigenesis. Epithelial depletion of both Bmi1 and Mel18, but not either gene alone, significantly reduces tumor growth and multiplicity.