Wilms' tumor gene WT1: its oncogenic function and clinical application.
The Wilms' tumor gene WT1 is a gene responsible for the childhood renal tumor. Wilms' tumor, and is defined as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the wild-type WT1 gene is highly expressed in leukemic blast cells of myeloid and lymphoid origin, and thus, WT1 messenger RNA provides a novel tumor marker for detection of minimal residual disease of leukemias and for monitoring disease progression of myelodysplastic syndromes. The WT1 gene exerts an oncogenic function rather than a tumor-suppressor gene function in solid tumors as well as leukemias, and the WT1 gene product is an attractive tumor antigen capable of eliciting cytotoxic T lymphocytes against WT1-expressing tumors.
Sugiyama
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Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Osaka University Medical School, Japan. sugiyama@sahs.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D025721:WT1 Proteins; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025721:WT1 Proteins