Wilms’ Tumor GeneWT1: Its Oncogenic Function and Clinical Application

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Abstract
The Wilms’ tumor geneWT1 is a gene responsible for the childhood renal tumor, Wilms’ tumor, and is defined as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the wild-typeWT1 gene is highly expressed in leukemic blast cells of myeloid and lymphoid origin, and thus,WT1 messenger RNA provides a novel tumor marker for detection of minimal residual disease of leukemias and for monitoring disease progression of myelodysplastic syndromes. TheWT1 gene exerts an oncogenic function rather than a tumor-suppressor gene function in solid tumors as well as leukemias, and the WT1 gene product is an attractive tumor antigen capable of eliciting cytotoxic T lymphocytes againstWT1-expressing tumors.