{"entity":{"id":"oncogene","kind":"term","name":"Oncogene","aka":["oncogenes","oncogenic","proto-oncogene","proto-oncogenes"],"tldr":"A gene that, when over-activated by mutation or extra copies, pushes a cell to grow and divide. Think of an accelerator pedal stuck to the floor.","summary":"Normal cells carry these genes as proto-oncogenes, which drive growth only when the cell receives the right signals; a mutation, amplification or fusion can lock them permanently on. Many oncogenes encode receptors and kinases in growth-signalling pathways (EGFR, HER2, ALK, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA), which is why so many targeted drugs are kinase inhibitors. Because a single activated oncogene can dominate a tumour's behaviour, blocking it can produce dramatic responses, the basis of oncogene addiction and of the whole targeted-therapy paradigm.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oncogene","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oncogene"}],"tags":[],"related":["tumour-suppressor-gene","driver-mutation","oncogene-addiction","kinase","growth-signal","sustaining-proliferative-signaling"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":[],"targets":["egfr","her2","kras","braf","alk","pik3ca"],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Biology basics"},"route":"/terms/oncogene/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"driver-mutation","kind":"term","name":"Driver mutation","route":"/terms/driver-mutation/"},{"id":"gene","kind":"term","name":"Gene","route":"/terms/gene/"},{"id":"growth-signal","kind":"term","name":"Growth signal","route":"/terms/growth-signal/"},{"id":"sustaining-proliferative-signaling","kind":"term","name":"Hallmark: sustaining proliferative signalling","route":"/terms/sustaining-proliferative-signaling/"},{"id":"kinase","kind":"term","name":"Kinase","route":"/terms/kinase/"},{"id":"oncogene-addiction","kind":"term","name":"Oncogene addiction","route":"/terms/oncogene-addiction/"},{"id":"somatic-mutation-theory","kind":"term","name":"Somatic mutation theory of cancer","route":"/terms/somatic-mutation-theory/"},{"id":"tumour-suppressor-gene","kind":"term","name":"Tumour suppressor gene","route":"/terms/tumour-suppressor-gene/"}],"target":[{"id":"alk","kind":"target","name":"ALK","route":"/targets/alk/"},{"id":"braf","kind":"target","name":"BRAF","route":"/targets/braf/"},{"id":"egfr","kind":"target","name":"EGFR","route":"/targets/egfr/"},{"id":"her2","kind":"target","name":"HER2","route":"/targets/her2/"},{"id":"kras","kind":"target","name":"KRAS","route":"/targets/kras/"},{"id":"pik3ca","kind":"target","name":"PIK3CA / PI3K-alpha","route":"/targets/pik3ca/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"kras-g12c-nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"KRAS G12C-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/kras-g12c-nsclc/"},{"id":"kras-g12c-pdac","kind":"cancer","name":"KRAS G12C-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/kras-g12c-pdac/"}]}}