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The identification in 1993 of inherited mutations in the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) gene in families with VHL disease was a seminal finding. This and subsequent discoveries have given the VHLtumour suppressor gene a central role in our understanding of the mechanisms of cellular oxygen sensing and in the pathobiology of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.
In this Timeline, the authors discuss the identification of tumour antigens that are recognized by T lymphocytes and how these findings can be effectively and safely transferred to the clinic.