Cell ablation

Cell ablation (also known as tissue ablation) is a biotechnological tool for studying cell lineage and/or function and is a form of ablation. The process consists of selectively destroying one or multiple cells in a given organism by any chosen means. For example, a laser beam or a controllable gene promoter for a toxin gene can be used to destroy a selected amount of cells. Cell ablation can also be used as a tool to produce transgenic organisms lacking a cell type and as a cure for certain disorders such as cancer and leukemia. The term is not to be confused with genetic ablation: a method of modifying DNA in order to disrupt the production of a specific gene. As genetic ablation may lead to cell ablation, it can be used as a synonymous term at appropriate times.