Ras and Cancer

We used the chemical genetic tool that was developed for G Proteins tool to isolate specific G protein effectors in cancer cells. This study resulted in the identification of Nol1 as a putative novel effector of H-Ras. Nol1 is overexpressed in a variety of tumors, including lung adenocarcinoma, prostate adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, oral carcinoma, follicular lymphoma, and human gliomas, and this overexpression is correlated with poor prognosis and shorter patient survival. Identification of Nol1 as a possible downstream effector of Ras might thus suggest a novel mechanism by which Ras may influence malignancy.