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Ras oncogenes: split personalities

Antoine E Karnoub1, Robert A Weinberg

  • 1Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA. karnoub@wi.mit.edu

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|June 24, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Ras proteins are involved in tumorigenesis and developmental disorders. Further research is needed to understand their complex signaling pathways and downstream effectors.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Physiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Ras proteins are key regulators of cellular signaling pathways.
  • Over 30 years of research have implicated Ras proteins in tumorigenesis and developmental disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize the current understanding of Ras protein functions.
  • To highlight the complexity of Ras-regulated signaling and identify knowledge gaps.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on Ras proteins.

Main Results:

  • Ras proteins play critical roles in cell physiology.
  • Their involvement extends to both cancer development and various developmental disorders.
  • Numerous downstream effectors and complex signaling cascades are regulated by Ras proteins.

Conclusions:

  • Despite significant advances, the full scope of Ras protein functions and their regulatory networks remains incompletely understood.
  • Further investigation is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of Ras signaling in health and disease.

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