Proto-Oncogenes and Human Cancers

Abstract

The idea that specific genes or groups of genes are responsible for the induction or maintenance of cancer is by no means new. Recent research efforts to understand such genetic sequences have focused on the study of cellular oncogenes or proto-oncogenes. Much of what we have learned about proto-oncogenes has its basis in studies of the rapidly transforming retroviruses. These viruses are known to cause cancer in a variety of vertebrate species, including primates.The molecular characterization of the genome of the rapidly transforming retroviruses first led to the identification of oncogenic sequences. All of the rapidly transforming retroviruses carry . . .