Transgenic and knock-out models for studying DNA repair

Transgenic animal technology, and especially the use of germ line manipulation for gene targeting, offers new strategies for in vivo analysis of the mechanisms of DNA repair and cell cycle control underlying their efficiency. In vivo risk assessment of genotoxic agents is already facilitated by using transgenic mice. Knock-out mice provide an opportunity to study the function of the disrupted gene, to model human diseases related to this inactivation, and to determine the consequences of loss of function after a genotoxic exposure. These models might also allow the development of new gene therapy strategies.