The retinoblastoma (RB) gene was the first tumor suppressor gene identified．It encodes a nuclear phosphoprotein which is differentially phosphorylated during the cell cycle．And the RB gene apparently plays a key role in cell growth regulation．Mutations in RB are seen in virtually all cases of retinoblastoma，and loss of RB gene function has been implicated in the progression of many common human cancers．A number of studies have indicated that replacement of the normal RB gene in RB-defective tumor cells could suppress their tumorigenic activity in nude mice．Preclinical studies also demonstrated that treatment of established human xenograft tumors in nude mice by recombinant adenovirus vectors expressing RB protein resulted in regression of the treated tumor．These studies make the emerging RB gene therapy even more attraction．

作者：徐洪基；缪庆；胡诗学；刘秉慈

来源：基础医学与临床 1999 年 19卷 5期