Tohoku University Elucidates Oncogenes KRAS and BRAF Causing Cardiofaciocutaneous Syndrome.Tokyo, Japan, Feb 13, 2006 - (JCN) - The Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has discovered that two different oncogenes oncogenes 1. genes carried by tumor viruses that are directly and solely responsible for the neoplastic transformation of host cells. Many oncogenes function after integration into the DNA of the host cell and some up-regulate normal downstream host cell genes to cause neoplasia. KRAS KRAS Knowledge Representation for Autonomous Systems and BRAF play a key role in the occurrence of cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC CFC See: Controlled foreign corporation ) syndrome. According to the university's research group, the congenital abnormality of KRAS and BRAF induces CFC syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, congenital cardiac lesion, mental deficiency, and excessive keratinization keratinization /ker·a·tin·i·za·tion/ (ker?ah-tin?i-za´shun) conversion into keratin. ker·a·tin·i·za·tion n. The conversion of squamous epithelial cells into a horny material, such as nails. . Both KRAS and BRAF are found in RAS/MAPK pathways, which play a role in cell proliferation. The group has concluded that this achievement will shed light on the research of cancer, including the mechanism of generation and treatment development. Details of the achievement were published in the February 12 online issue of US scientific magazine Nature Genetics. Copyright [c] 2006 Japan Corporate News Network. All rights reserved. |
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