Wilms' tumour: reconciling genetics and biology. |
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Authors: | V Van Heyningen N D Hastie |
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Institution: | MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK. |
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Abstract: | Wilms' tumour, a paediatric malignancy of the kidney, is a striking example of the relationship between aberrant development and cancer. Several different genetic loci have been implicated in the aetiology of the tumour; genomic imprinting also plays a role. One Wilms' tumour predisposition gene (WT1), encoding a zinc finger protein, is expressed in a limited set of tissues, including developing nephrons and gonads. The biology and genetics of Wilms' tumour underline the developmental relationship between kidneys and gonads. |
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