Abstract: The invention provides a method of inhibiting growth of a microsatellite instability (MSI)-positive tumor. The method is practiced by introducing into an MSI-positive tumor a nucleic acid molecule encoding a RIZ1 polypeptide and expressing the RIZ1 polypeptide in the tumor in an effective amount to inhibit growth of the tumor. Also provided is a method of determining the MSI status of a tumor. The method is practiced by determining in the tumor the number of adenosine (A) nucleotides in a poly(A) tract of a RIZ nucleic acid molecule in the tumor. An abnormal number of adenosine nucleotides in a RIZ poly(A) tract indicates that the tumor is MSI-positive.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of inhibiting growth of a microsatellite instability (MSI)-positive tumor. The method is practiced by introducing into an MSI-positive tumor a nucleic acid molecule encoding a RIZ1 polypeptide and expressing the RIZ1 polypeptide in the tumor in an effective amount to inhibit growth of the tumor. Also provided is a method of determining the MSI status of a tumor. The method is practiced by determining in the tumor the number of adenosine (A) nucleotides in a poly(A) tract of a RIZ nucleic acid molecule in the tumor. An abnormal number of adenosine nucleotides in a RIZ poly(A) tract indicates that the tumor is MSI-positive.

Abstract: A method for typing HLA class 1 genes. The method entails first contacting a sample DNA with first and second amplification primers, wherein the first and second primers are each at least partially located in an exonic region. Next, using the first and second primers, a target sequence is amplified by the PCR to form an amplicon of the target sequence. Finally, the amplicon is detected with a sequence-specific detection means, e.g., DNA sequencing. The invention also includes specific amplification primers, specific sequencing primers, and kits especially adapted for use with the above HLA typing method.