It’s a knockout: first rat to have key genes altered

May 20, 2003 | Source: Nature Science Update

Researchers have altered genes in rats to create strains with genetic characteristics of their choosing, a long-sought tool for studying disease.

The animals, called knockout rats, were stripped of a gene that suppresses breast cancer in humans and will help researchers unravel the genetics of the disease. Future knockout rats will help researchers study other cancers and diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.