Tumorigenesis: Modeling Kras in cells and mice

Activating Kras mutations are among the most common oncogenic alterations in human cancers. Kras signaling is required for the sustained malignant growth of numerous cancer types hence this pathway is a strong candidate for drug development. Because the oncogenic circuitry of Kras is context-specific, effective drug development requires model systems that recapitulate human cancer genetics and biology. Here we review such models and their use validating known Kras signaling components as drug targets and in identifying additional points of therapeutic intervention.

Section editors:Nikolina Vlatovic – University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKMark T. Boyd – University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK