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Letter

Nature Genetics 32, 185–190 (1 September 2002) | doi:10.1038/ng958

Mice heterozygous for mutation in Atm, the gene involved in ataxia-telangiectasia, have heightened susceptibility to cancer

Kevin Spring , Farida Ahangari , Shaun P. Scott , Paul Waring , David M. Purdie , Philip C. Chen , Kevin Hourigan , Jonathan Ramsay , Peter J. McKinnon , Michael Swift & Martin F. Lavin

Ataxia-telangiectasia is characterized by radiosensitivity, genome instability and predisposition to cancer. Heterozygous carriers of ATM, the gene defective in ataxia-telangiectasia, have a higher than normal risk of developing breast and other cancers.