Researchers have established the most comprehensive molecular portrait of the workings of KRAS, a key cancer-causing gene or ‘oncogene,’ and how its activities impact pancreatic cancer outcomes. KRAS is one of the most commonly mutated genes in human cancers and it is found in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer tumors. Exactly how it spurs cancer growth, however, is poorly understood. That’s why the researchers embarked on their extensive efforts to figure out what other genes and proteins make KRAS expression so lethal.
