Rb1 CKO Mouse Model

The B1 gene encodes a tumor suppressor protein, Rb, which prevents excessive cell proliferation by inhibiting cell cycle progression before the cells are ready for division. If the biallelic mutation in RB1 occurs in the early stage of life, the inactivation of the Rb protein can lead to the formation of retinoblastoma.

Mice carrying homozygous Rb1 knockout die in the embryonic phase due to their inability to produce red blood cells in the liver, while mice carrying heterozygous Rb1 knockout develop pituitary tumors at 8 months of age.

With the ability to avoid the risk of death caused by homozygous and systemic knockout, our own-developed Rb1 conditional knockout mice (Rb1-CKO) can be used to study cancer, cell cycle or aging.

Fig1. The retinoblastoma (RB) pathway in stress responses and cancer.（Nat Rev Cancer. 2008 Oct;8(10):769-81.）