Compositions and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of tumor

摘要

Disclosed are methods for screening for biologically active agents comprising (1) administering to transgenic mammals or mammalian cell cultures a candidate agent, wherein the mammal or mammalian cell culture has the FGF19 gene operably integrated and shows hepatocellular carcinoma, increased pericentral hepatocyte proliferation or elevated alpha-fetoprotein as compared with a non-transgenic mammal; and (2) testing for the effect of the agent on said hepatocellular carcinoma, increased pericentral hepatocyte proliferation or elevated alpha-fetoprotein. In particular the FGF19 gene may be under the control of a skeletal muscle cell promoter.