BioCentury
ARTICLE | Tools & Techniques

What's in a knockout

June 8, 1998 7:00 AM UTC

Knockout mice have been hailed as a means for examining the effects of a single gene on an entire animal, with results applicable to human physiology. However, gene disruptions made in embryonic mice can be difficult to reconcile with pharmacology data from mature non-knockout animals, forcing researchers to wait for validation from clinical studies.

Knockout mice published last week for neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptors and a corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor illustrate the contradictory results that can come from knockout studies...