Oncogenes

Oncogenes are genes that have the potential to cause cancer. In tumor cells, these genes are often mutated or expressed at high levels. Most normal cells will undergo a programmed form of rapid cell death (apoptosis) when critical functions are altered and malfunctioning. Activated oncogenes can cause those cells designated for apoptosis to survive and proliferate instead.

History

The term "oncogene" was first used in 1969 by National Cancer Institute scientists George Todaro and Robert Huebner. The concept of oncogenes was foreshadowed by the cancer research conducted by Peyton Rous in 1911, who discovered that a sarcoma in chickens could be transmitted by a virus, later identified as the Rous sarcoma virus.

Function

Oncogenes play an important role in the regulation or synthesis of proteins linked to cell growth and regulation. The modification of these genes can result in the self-sufficiency of growth signals, evasion of anti-growth signals, limitless replicative potential, and altered cellular metabolism.

Examples

Some examples of oncogenes include: RAS, MYC, ERBB2, and ABL1. Each of these has a normal function in the cell when it is under the control of its regulator gene. However, when the oncogene becomes mutated, it can lead to cancer.

See also

• Tumor suppressor gene
• Proto-oncogene
• Carcinogenesis
• Cancer research

References

Oncogenes Resources
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