Using transgenic mice models to study tumour suppressor functions of PTEN

PTEN is a tumour suppressor frequently mutated in human cancer. PTEN has a well characterised lipid phosphatase activity and a less studied protein phosphatase activity. I have been involved in studying the function of PTENs protein phosphatase activity for a few years now. Work done on cultured cells has suggested that this activity of PTEN is important for its tumour suppressor functions. We have extended this work to transgenic mice models. In todays talk, I will give an overview of how transgenic mouse models are developed for such studies and present data from the transgenic mice we have generated