The MYC oncogene family comprises regulatory genes and proto-oncogenes that encode transcription factors, involved in various cellular processes such as the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA repair, and metabolism. Members include c-Myc (MYC), l-Myc (MYCL), and n-Myc (MYCN). c-Myc (MYC) is a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLHZip) transcription factor, which forms heterodimers with Max protein to bind DNA and regulate the expression of approximately 15% of genes, thereby participating in key cellular processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, DNA repair, and metabolism. In many cancers, c-Myc is overexpressed, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation and tumor growth, such as in Burkitt's lymphoma where c-Myc gene rearrangement is common. Dysregulation of the MYC oncogene plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, predominantly through transcriptional dysregulation resulting in overexpression of c-Myc protein.

Alb-Cre+/MYC+ mice are generated by crossing H11-CAG-LSL-hMYC-IRES-EGFP mice (Catalog Number: C001338), which conditionally express the human c-Myc oncogene, with Alb-Cre mice that express Cre recombinase specifically in hepatocytes under the control of the Alb promoter. The Cre-mediated recombination results in the deletion of the transcriptional stop sequence (Loxp-Stop-Loxp, LSL) in H11-CAG-LSL-hMYC-IRES-EGFP mice, leading to overexpression of the MYC oncogene in the liver and subsequent carcinogenesis. This model, therefore, spontaneously develops liver cancer with an early onset.