RASjärjestelmä

RAS-järjestelmä refers to the hierarchical structure of cellular signaling pathways that regulate various cellular processes, including growth, differentiation, and survival. The term is an acronym for "Ratlukced Associated Signal" or "Ras signaling pathway", which involves a family of GTPases known as Ras proteins.

The RAS protein is a small molecular switch that functions as a binary switch or on/off switch in cellular signaling networks. It plays a central role in controlling the activity of numerous protein kinases that regulate the cell growth and development. Multiple pathways are used by the RAS protein to generate signals within the cell and respond to external stimuli.

The RAS signaling pathway spans across multiple cellular compartments, with the Ras protein interacting with various downstream effectors and upstream regulators, it transduces signals from the cell surface to the nucleus, influencing numerous cellular processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. The pathway can be regulated by upstream regulators such as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Additionally, signal regulating proteins such as MAP kinase (MAPK) are activated through a cascade of events.

Dysregulation of the RAS signaling pathway is associated with an increased propensity for cancer development, and is therefore a common target for therapy in cancer treatment. Researchers are actively involved in studying this pathway to gain insights into its normal functions, as well as defining its connections and complexities, which could lay the groundwork for novel therapeutic strategies