Gene Targeting for Somatic Cell Manipulation

Recent technological advances, not least in somatic cell genetics, have accelerated progress in human genome mapping and reverse genetics. In particular, chromosome mediated gene transfer (CMGT) (1 ) and irradiation and fusion gene transfer (IFGT) (2 ) have been exploited to great effect for enrichment cloning of predetermined regions of the human genome. Both methods allow subchromosomal fragments of human DNA (generally 1 to 50 Mbp in size) to be isolated onto a rodent cell background as a resource for DNA cloning and fine structure mapping.