The use of transgenic animals to study the role of growth factors in endocrinology.
Transgenesis is identified as being of special interest in the study of growth factors where their multicellular origins and complex interactions make them particularly difficult to characterize using classical experimental approaches developed to investigate hormones originating in specialized cells in discrete glands. Through allowing molecular 'tinkering' in intact animals, transgenesis enables specific growth factors to be 'ablated or replaced' from specific tissues and organs and target cell response and impact of modulatory factors such as binding proteins to be explored in the intact animal. To the endocrinologist, the potential applications of such technology are legend. This chapter provides a brief overview of the technique and provides linkages to the rapidly developing body of literature in establishing transgenesis in growth factor research.
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D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
D006133:Growth Substances