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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Identification of Sleeping Beauty Transposon Insertions in Solid Tumors using Linker-mediated PCR
Published on: February 1, 2013
Sleeping beauty: a novel cancer gene discovery tool
Adam J Dupuy1, Nancy A Jenkins, Neal G Copeland
1Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Abstract:
The National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute recently announced a 3-year 100-million-dollar pilot study to use large-scale resequencing of genes in human tumors to identify new cancer genes. The hope is that some of these genes can be used as drug targets for developing better therapeutics for treating cancer. Although this effort will identify new cancer genes, it could be made more efficient by preferentially resequencing genes identified as novel candidate cancer genes in animal models of cancer. Although retroviral insertional mutagenesis has proven to be an effective tool for identifying novel cancer genes in the mouse, these studies are limited by the fact that retroviral mutagenesis primarily induces hematopoietic and mammary cancer, but little else, while the majority of cancers affecting humans are solid tumors. Recently, two groups have shown that sleeping beauty (SB) transposon-based insertional mutagenesis can also identify novel candidate cancer genes in the mouse. Unlike retroviral infection, SB transposition can be controlled to mutagenize any target tissue and thus potentially induce many different kinds of cancer, including solid tumors. SB transposition in animal models of cancer could therefore greatly facilitate the identification of novel human cancer genes and the development of better cancer therapies.
Insights
A new pilot study aims to find cancer genes for drug targets. Using sleeping beauty transposon technology in animal models could accelerate the discovery of new cancer genes and therapies, especially for solid tumors.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Cancer Biology
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- Large-scale gene resequencing efforts are underway to identify novel cancer genes for therapeutic development.
- Current methods, like retroviral insertional mutagenesis, are limited in the types of cancers they can induce, primarily affecting hematopoietic and mammary cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the efficiency of identifying novel cancer genes by prioritizing candidates from animal models.
- To explore the potential of sleeping beauty (SB) transposon-based insertional mutagenesis for discovering cancer genes relevant to human solid tumors.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing sleeping beauty (SB) transposon-based insertional mutagenesis in animal models.
- Controlling SB transposition to mutagenize various target tissues, enabling the induction of diverse cancer types, including solid tumors.
Main Results:
- SB transposition has been demonstrated by two independent groups to effectively identify novel candidate cancer genes in mice.
- SB transposition offers broader tissue targeting capabilities compared to retroviral mutagenesis, facilitating the study of a wider range of cancer types.
Conclusions:
- Sleeping beauty (SB) transposon-based insertional mutagenesis is a promising tool for identifying novel human cancer genes.
- This approach holds significant potential for accelerating the development of improved cancer therapies, particularly for solid tumors.
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