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Oncogenes
Author(s) -
Haber Michelle,
Stewart Bernard W.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1985.tb133155.x
Subject(s) - biology , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , rna , cell growth , genetics
A small class of normal cellular genes has the potential to transform cells malignantly. These cellular oncogenes have been identified by their similarity to the transforming genes of oncogenic RNA viruses (retroviruses), and by their ability, under certain circumstances, to transform cells into which they have been transferred. Cellular oncogenes are not normally tumorigenic and, indeed, appear to be critically involved in normal cellular processes, possibly at the level of growth regulation. However, it appears that a number of mechanisms exist whereby these oncogenes can become malignantly activated, leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation. The evidence implicating cellular oncogenes in human malignant disease is reviewed.