Wilms' tumor gene WT1: its oncogenic function and clinical application

The Wilms' tumor gene WT1 is a gene responsible for the childhood renal tumor. Wilms' tumor, and is defined as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the wild-type WT1 gene is highly expressed in leukemic blast cells of myeloid and lymphoid origin, and thus, WT1 messenger RNA provides a novel tumor marker for detection of minimal residual disease of leukemias and for monitoring disease progression of myelodysplastic syndromes. The WT1 gene exerts an oncogenic function rather than a tumor-suppressor gene function in solid tumors as well as leukemias, and the WT1 gene product is an attractive tumor antigen capable of eliciting cytotoxic T lymphocytes against WT1-expressing tumors.