[Suppressor genes in the malignant transformation and genic deletions in human cancers].

Experimental studies of cell malignant transformation have shown that such transformation requires the alteration of genes that can control the expression of the transformed phenotype. In human oncology, the role of genes that suppress malignant transformation is suggested by the fact that specific genic deletions have been detected by polymorphism-detecting probes in many malignant tumours. The only oncosuppressor gene that is characterized at the moment is the inactivated RB gene in retinoblastoma. Molecular biology studies have shown that in retinoblastoma and other malignant tumours this gene is altered in its structure or expression. In addition to retinoblastoma, nephroblastoma in children and colonic carcinoma constitute models for the study of oncosuppressor genes in human oncology.