Brian Frenzel, President and CEO of life sciences of the biopharmaceutical R&D firm Tosk, Inc., oversees the investigation of potentially cancer-causing genes such as kRAS. Under Brian Frenzel's direction, Tosk is currently pursuing research into drugs that may block an important kRAS gene mutation.
The Kristen rat sarcoma viral oncogene, or kRAS, has captured the attention of the scientific and oncology research communities. When it functions normally, the protein product of the kRAS gene plays important roles in cell division, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The kRAS protein is a GTPase, an intrinsic enzyme that converts guanidine triphosphate (GTP) molecule to guanidine diphosphate (GDP). The kRas protein acts as a molecular on/off switch. To transmit signals, the normal kRAS protein can be transiently turned on by stimulus from cell surface receptors that promote kRAS bound to GTP. The kRAS protein is switched off when it converts the GTP to GDP, subsequently leading to activation of many downstream signal transduction pathways. However, certain mutations in the kRAS gene result in the constant expression of kRAS proteins. This causes uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation, which in turn can cause the cell to become cancerous. Researchers have discovered this process at work in a number of human cancers, including more than 90 percent of carcinomas in the pancreas. Scientists have also found similar correlations in lung, colorectal, and other cancers.
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AuthorAt Genelabs Technologies in the 1980’s, Brian Frenzel served on the front lines in the war on HIV/AIDS and championed projects to identify and diagnose new hepatitis viruses. Archives
June 2020
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