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The action of mendelian genes in human diploid cell strains
Author(s) -
Krooth Robert S.,
Sell Elizabeth K.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.1040760310
Subject(s) - mendelian inheritance , biology , genetics , gene , ploidy , somatic cell , allele , phenotype , cell , mutant , mutation , human genome , genome
Some of the cells of every human being will grow outside the body as microorganisms. It is possible to show, in a variety of ways, that these cells resemble genetically the individual from whom they were obtained. Over 35 inherited human diseases and anomalies can now be studied in such cell lines. Human diploid cell strains, biochemically marked by one or more mutant Mendelian genes, have proven particularly useful for the study of gene action in man and for the detection of genetic changes such as mutation and somatic cell hybridization. In addition, the strains have a number of clinical applications, including the antenatal diagnosis of inherited disease. The failure of cultured human cells to display their phenotype at most loci continues to restrict their use in both genetics and medicine. There are reasons for hoping that this difficulty will eventually be solved, and some experiments bearing on the problem are already feasible.