Transgenic approaches to cancer biology.
Transgenic animal models have played a major role in advancing our understanding of tumorigenesis. The most important recent advance has been the production of animals bearing targeted mutations generated by homologous recombination. For the first time, we can ask questions about loss of gene function and the consequences of gene alterations in situ. Perhaps most significantly, this approach has been applied to two of the tumour suppressor genes, Rb and p53. Homologous recombination has helped to clarify not only the normal roles of these genes, but also the mechanisms by which their dysfunction may lead to tumorigenesis.
Clarke
A R
AR
University of Edinburgh, UK.
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*