title: Transgenic mouse models--a seminal breakthrough in oncogene research.
abstract: Transgenic mouse models are an integral part of modern cancer research, providing a versatile and powerful means of studying tumor initiation and progression, metastasis, and therapy. The present repertoire of these models is very diverse, with a wide range of strategies used to induce tumorigenesis by expressing dominant-acting oncogenes or disrupting the function of tumor-suppressor genes, often in a highly tissue-specific manner. Much of the current technology used in the creation and characterization of transgenic mouse models of cancer will be discussed in depth elsewhere. However, to gain a complete appreciation and understanding of these complex models, it is important to review the history of the field. Transgenic mouse models of cancer evolved as a new and, compared with the early cell-culture-based techniques, more physiologically relevant approach for studying the properties and transforming capacities of oncogenes. Here, we will describe early transgenic mouse models of cancer based on tissue-specific expression of oncogenes and discuss their impact on the development of this still rapidly growing field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A3, Canada.
authors.forename: Harvey W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015513:Oncogene Proteins