Utilization of mouse models in the discovery of human disease genes.

The mouse is a powerful model organism for studying human disease. By the use of various breeding strategies in combination with positional cloning and positional candidates, many genes underlying human disease have been and will continue to be discovered through the use of mouse genetics. The author illustrates how the mouse can be used to discover human disease genes underlying simple mendelian and complex polygenic diseases and genes involved in the modification of disease.