Stanford University other research news

Stanford researchers reported in Cell that they have discovered TSG101, a gene on chromosome 11 that is defective in almost half of the breast cancers the scientists studied.

The gene was discovered using a technique called random homozygous knockout (RHKO), in which both copies of a gene in a cell are knocked out without knowing the gene's identity or function. Researchers then look among millions of mutant cells for individual cells capable of forming cancers. By identifying genes inactivated in the cancer-forming cells, researchers can then isolate tumor suppressor genes, whose activity has been lost in these cells. ...