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Abstract

Haemophilia A is a classic X-linked disease which affects 1 in 5-10,000 males in all populations and is caused by defects in coagulation factor VIII. Roughly 60% of patients have severe disease with factor VIII activity < 1% of normal; they have frequent spontaneous bleeding into joints, soft tissues, muscles and internal organs. These patients usually require regular injections of plasma-derived or recombinant human factor VIII. Because this is expensive and can potentially lead to life-threatening complications, other forms of therapy, including gene therapy, have been proposed. Natural canine models of factor VIII and factor IX deficiency have been available for many years, and gene therapy attempts on these dogs have met with partial success. However, a small animal model of the disease is desirable for studies of factor VIII function and gene therapy. Using gene targeting, we have made a mouse with severe factor VIII deficiency.

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Most cited references 18

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Targeted disruption of the c-src proto-oncogene leads to osteopetrosis in mice.

Philipps Soriano, Charles Montgomery, Robert Geske … (1991)

To understand the normal, physiological role of the c-src proto-oncogene, a null mutation was introduced into the gene by homologous recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells. Two independent targeted clones were used to generate chimeras that transmitted the mutated allele to their offspring. Intercrossing of heterozygotes gave rise to live born homozygotes, but most of these mice died within the first few weeks of birth. Histological and hematological examination of the homozygous mutants did not reveal detectable abnormalities in the brain or platelets, where src is most highly expressed. However, these mutants were deficient in bone remodeling, indicating impaired osteoclast function, and developed osteopetrosis. These results demonstrate that src is not required for general cell viability (possibly because of functional overlap with other tyrosine kinases related to src) and uncover an essential role for src in bone formation.

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Inversions disrupting the factor VIII gene are a common cause of severe haemophilia A.

D Lakich, H H Kazazian, S E Antonarakis … (1993)

Mutations in the factor VIII gene have been discovered for barely more than half of the examined cases of severe haemophilia A. To account for the unidentified mutations, we propose a model based on the possibility of recombination between homologous sequences located in intron 22 and upstream of the factor VIII gene. Such a recombination would lead to an inversion of all intervening DNA and a disruption of the gene. We present evidence to support this model and describe a Southern blot assay that detects the inversion. These findings should be valuable for genetic prediction of haemophilia A in approximately 45% of families with severe disease.