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The Secret of Ras Protein: Why is it the Culprit of Cancer?
In the complex network of cell signaling, there is a "culprit" that is often mentioned, and that is the Ras protein. Members of this protein family are closely associated with all animal cell systems and organs, and their role in cancer development has attracted widespread attention from scientists. According to research, Ras protein itself is a key regulator of cell growth, differentiation and survival. When it is activated by incorrect signals, it may trigger a series of erroneous reactions, ultimately leading to the occurrence of cancer.
Mutations in the Ras gene are found in more than 20% of human tumors, and in some cancer types this proportion can be as high as 90%.
History and Discovery of Ras
The name Ras comes from "Rat sarcoma virus", which was discovered from a virus found in cow bone marrow. Since the 1960s, the scientific community discovered the first Ras gene associated with cancer, HRAS, followed by KRAS and NRAS. The discovery of these genes has opened up in-depth research on Ras proteins and their roles in cancer. In 1982, researchers discovered the human ras gene activated in cancer cells, showing a direct link between this gene and a variety of human cancers.
Structure and function of Ras
Ras protein is a small GTPase that exhibits typical binary molecular switch properties. When Ras binds to GTP, it becomes activated and begins transmitting signals that promote cell growth and division. But if GTP is hydrolyzed to GDP, it will return to the inactive state. This "on" and "off" state of Ras is critical for the normal functioning of cells.
Ras and cancerActivated Ras can activate multiple downstream signaling pathways, including MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR, which are closely related to cell proliferation and survival.
As the research on Ras protein deepens, scientists have discovered that Ras gene mutation is one of the key factors in the occurrence of cancer. These mutations cause Ras proteins to remain activated in the absence of external signals, triggering disordered cell proliferation. Especially in pancreatic cancer, the mutation rate of KRAS gene is as high as 90%, showing the important role of Ras in the development of this type of cancer.
For example, mutations at the G12 site inhibit GTPase activity, locking the Ras protein in the "on" state. This not only increases the growth rate of tumor cells, but also promotes the spread and metastasis of tumors.
Cancer treatment strategies targeting Ras
With the deepening of understanding of Ras function and mechanism, inhibitors targeting Ras are becoming one of the potential strategies for treating cancer. Currently, researchers are developing a variety of drugs to block the activity of Ras. Among them, a special virus such as Reovirus can rapidly replicate and induce cell death in tumor cells with activated Ras pathway, showing potential as a cancer treatment.
SiRNA targeting mutant K-RAS has entered the clinical trial stage and shows good therapeutic prospects.
Future Research Directions
With the advancement of science and technology, research on Ras will continue to deepen, especially in drug development and therapeutic strategies. Scientists hope to soon find effective ways to inhibit the activity of Ras and thus control the various cancers it causes. Future research and development may not only be limited to traditional small molecule inhibitors, but may also include viral therapy and gene editing technology.
Does this mean that humanity is about to make a breakthrough in controlling cancer?
