The retinoblastoma tumour suppressor in development and cancer.

Since its discovery, the retinoblastoma (RB) tumour-suppressor protein has been a focal point of cancer research. Accumulating evidence indicates a complex role for RB in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. To further complicate matters, proteins that are related to RB have redundant as well as antagonistic functions. Recent studies of knockout mice and cells that lack one or more of these proteins have begun to clarify their various context-specific functions and the unique activity of this tumour suppressor.