Tumour suppressor genes
Basics
Examples
- genes which normally control the cell cycle
- loss of function results in an increased risk of cancer
- both alleles must be mutated before cancer occurs
Examples
| Gene | Associated cancers |
|---|---|
| p53 | Common to many cancers, Li-Fraumeni syndrome |
| APC | Colorectal cancer |
| BRCA1 | Breast and ovarian cancer |
| BRCA2 | Breast and ovarian cancer |
| NF1 | Neurofibromatosis |
| Rb | Retinoblastoma |
| WT1 | Wilm's tumour |
| Multiple tumor suppressor 1 (MTS-1, p16) | Melanoma |
Tumour suppressor genes - loss of function results in an increased risk of cancer
Oncogenes - gain of function results in an increased risk of cancer
Oncogenes - gain of function results in an increased risk of cancer