Genetic Modifiers Chapter uri icon

abstract

  • Abstract Cancer is caused by a complex interaction between an individual's intrinsic genetic composition and extrinsic environmental exposures. Cancer modifiers, a special class of cancer genes that accounts for the majority of the intrinsic genetic differences in cancer susceptibility among individuals, contribute to a significant proportion of all human cancers. Modifiers are often normal allelic variants of genes that do not produce abnormal phenotypes alone, but rather modify the action of other cancer genes. Frequently, these genes are also called lowpenetrance cancer genes since, individually, they typically have small effects on cancer phenotypes. However, cumulatively, they can have major influences on all stages of cancer development from initiation through response to therapy. Similar to the unique characteristics that distinguish cancer modifiers from highpenetrance cancercausing genes, the methods used to identify these genes are distinct. Because of the lowpenetrance nature of their actions, this class of cancer gene is particularly difficult to detect using human populations. As such, the mouse has become the predominant model to identify cancer modifiers. The unique characteristics, methods for detection and identification of cancer modifiers, and their use in human studies are described in this chapter.

author list (cited authors)

  • Threadgill, D. W., Hunter, K. W., Zou, F., & Manly, K. F.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Threadgill, David W||Hunter, Kent W||Zou, Fei||Manly, Kenneth F

Book Title

  • Mouse Models of Human Cancer

publication date

  • October 2004

publisher