Mouse Model With Modified Tumor Suppressor Gene
By Biotechdaily staff writers
Posted on 03 Jan 2005
Researchers have introduced mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene to a line of mice so that the animals mimic humans suffering from the rare Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), which predisposes affected individuals to develop multiple cancers.Posted on 03 Jan 2005
In order to create LFS in mice, investigators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Boston, USA) modified the p53 gene rather than completely disable it. They reported in the December 17, 2004, issue of Cell that animals with two different p53 mutations developed a variety of cancers that were not seen in either normal control animals or in mice lacking p53.
"The LFS mouse strains, which have been many years in the making, will be extremely valuable in understanding how the common mutations in p53 contribute to tumor formation,” said senior author Dr. Tyler Jacks, professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We expect these strains will also help us determine how to specifically treat p53 mutant tumors.”
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology