Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions have identified a new target of a cancer-causing gene. The new target of the Ras oncoprotein is an enzyme required to produce a molecular anchor that allows certain proteins to stick to the cell surface. These molecules, known as GPI-anchored proteins, regulate the way cells interact and connect with one another. GPI-anchored proteins are also used by parasites, such as the Plasmodium that causes malaria, to protect themselves against the body’s immune defenses. The discovery may provide a new understanding of how tumor cells become malignant and how parasites defend themselves against the body’s immune system. The findings, which are published in the May 28, 2004, issue of the journal Cell, could open new avenues of research in the development of treatments for cancers and parasitic infections.
