Random homozygous gene perturbation (rhgp) with thermal assymetric interlaced (tail)-pcr

A method of identifying targets for development of therapeutic drugs to address a disease condition, comprising:

• transducing a population of mammalian cells expressing an activation factor, said cells comprising a host genome, with viral particles comprising a gene search vector comprising an inducible promoter which is inactivated in the absence of an inducing agent, wherein said gene search vector inserts into said host genome at a host gene, in a sense or opposite orientation to the host gene and generates a sense or antisense RNA in the presence of said inducing agent, whereby expression of said host gene is either suppressed at both alleles or enhanced by said insertion, wherein a sufficient number of insertion events occur in said population to ensure insertion of said gene search vector in substantially all genetic loci of said genome;
• inspecting the transduced population of mammalian cells to identify cells exhibiting a phenotype unique to said disease condition;
• identifying each genetic sequence at the point of insertion of said gene search vector (GSV) in those cells exhibiting a phenotype unique to said disease condition;
• and
• characterizing each said genetic sequence at the point of insertion of said GSV to determine whether perturbation of said genome by said insertion has caused over expression or reduced expression of said genetic sequence, wherein said sequences are identified as targets for development of therapeutic drugs to address said disease condition.