synthetic lethality

Describes a situation in which mutations (changes) in two genes together result in cell death, but a mutation in either gene alone does not. Cancer cells that only have one mutated gene in a specific pair of genes can depend on the normal partner gene for survival. Interfering with the function of the normal partner gene may cause cancer cells to die. Studying synthetic lethality may help researchers learn more about the function of genes and develop new drugs to treat cancer.