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KRAS, NRAS and BRAF mutations in colorectal cancer and melanoma

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Abstract

Cancers are the group of diseases, which arise because of the uncontrolled behavior of some of the genes in our cells. There are possibilities of gene amplifications, overexpressions, deletions and other anomalies which might lead to the development and spread of cancer. One of the most dangerous ways to the cancers is the mutations of the genes. The mutated genes can start unstoppable proliferation of cells, their uncontrolled motility, protection from apoptosis, the DNA mutation enhancement as well as other anomalies, leading to the cancer. This review focuses on the genes, which are frequently mutated in various cancers and are known to be important in the advance and progression of colorectal cancer and melanoma, namely KRAS, NRAS and BRAF.

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Acknowledgements

Part of this research was funded by Scientific Council of Lithuania (Scientific team Project #MIP-033/2014); therefore, we thank the organization. Jonas Cicenas would also like to thank Mauro Delorenzi for scientific inspiration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Animal Pathology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Jonas Cicenas

  2. MAP Kinase Resource, Bern, Switzerland

    Jonas Cicenas, Ricardas Tarvydas, Gintare Staniute & Karthik Kalyan

  3. Proteomics Centre, Vilnius University Institute of Biochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Jonas Cicenas & Mindaugas Valius

  4. School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK

    Linas Tamosaitis

  5. Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio ave. 7, LT–01222, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Kotryna Kvederaviciute

  6. The International Immunogenetics Information System (IMGT); Institut de Genitique Humaine (IGH), CNRS, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34396, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    Karthik Kalyan

  7. Aleksandro Stulginskio University, Studentų g. 11, 53361, Akademija, Lithuania

    Edita Meskinyte-Kausiliene

  8. Lithuania National Cancer Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Vaidotas Stankevicius

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  1. Jonas Cicenas
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Correspondence to Jonas Cicenas.

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Cicenas, J., Tamosaitis, L., Kvederaviciute, K. et al. KRAS, NRAS and BRAF mutations in colorectal cancer and melanoma. Med Oncol 34, 26 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-016-0879-9

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