Recent translational research: oncogene discovery by insertional mutagenesis gets a new boost.
Knowledge of the genes and genetic pathways involved in onco-genesis is essential if we are to identify novel targets for cancer therapy. Insertional mutagenesis in mouse models is among the most efficient tools to detect novel cancer genes. Retrovirus-mediated insertional mutagenesis received a tremendous boost by the availability of the mouse genome sequence and new PCR methods. Application of such advances were limited to lympho-magenesis but are now also being applied to mammary tumourigenesis. Novel transposons that allow insertional mutagenesis studies to be conducted in tumors of any mouse tissue may give cancer gene discovery a further boost.
Division of Tumor Biology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.hilkens@nki.nl
John
J
Hilkens
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012190:Retroviridae
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements