How does Gleevec work in relation to oncogenes?
Well, much like Dr. Weinberg identified the ras oncogene as being something that drives the growth of one particular type of cancer, another group of investigators identified a different oncogene that drives the growth of chronic myeloid leukemia cells. What Gleevec does is stop this oncogene in its tracks so it can no longer drive the growth of the cancer cells. [There are] other groups of investigators looking at ways to stop the ras oncogene in tumors that are driven by the ras oncogene and you can expand that paradigm to each and every oncogene that drives the growth of cancer cells. What is the oncogene that Gleevec addresses? The oncogene is called “BCR Able” and it actually came out of a very similar style of experiment to what the ras oncogene came from. There was this animal virus that caused tumors called “V-Able” and ultimately that led to that identification of this “Able” oncogene. In chronic myeloid leukemia, researchers were able to identify an oncogene that drives the g
