Introduction

Abstract

In recent years there has been a virtual explosion in our understanding of the mechanisms which regulate vertebrate cell proliferation. This applies both to normal cells, in which growth is tightly controlled, as well as to cancer cells, which divide in an uncontrolled fashion. Molecular and biochemical studies have led to the identification of a number of genes whose products are involved in regulating normal cell growth. In addition, many genes which are capable of inducing a transformed phenotype have been identified. Perhaps most important in fueling the remarkable progress of the past few years was the demonstration of something which was believed by many, but for a long time remained speculative: that these two groups of genes are in fact largely one and the same. This realization has been tremendously catalytic for both areas of research, and is the central concept around which this book is organized.