New tools for functional mammalian cancer genetics.

Brummelkamp, Thijn R; Bernards, René · Nat Rev Cancer · 2003

review · Level V

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Abstract

Knowledge of the function of individual genes that encode components of cell-signalling pathways is crucial to our understanding of normal growth control and its deregulation in cancer, but we have functional information for only 15% of human genes at present. Several new technologies have recently become available to identify gene function in mammalian cells using high-throughput genetic screens. These new tools will make it possible to identify new and innovative classes of anticancer drugs, including those that show synthetic lethal interactions with cancer-specific mutations.

Medical subject headings