Retinoblastoma: the disease, gene and protein provide critical leads to understand cancer

Retinoblastoma has contributed much to the understanding of cancer. The pro tein product of the RB gene, pRB, is a multifaceted regulator of transcript ion which controls the cell cycle, differentiation and apoptosis in normal development of specific tissues. Elucidating the mechanisms in which pRB pl ays a critical role will enable novel therapies and strategies for preventi on, not only for retinoblastoma, but for cancer in general.