Question

Knowledge of the driver mutations underlying cancer has led to targeted therapeutics, such as the protein kinase inhibitor imatinib (trade name Gleevec) in cases of chronic myeloid leukemia. Cancer cells often become resistant to a given drug, so researchers continue searching for new drugs that target proteins that contribute to the cancerous phenotype. One recent promising approach uses drugs that lead to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of the target protein. Which of the following mutated proteins are good candidates for this approach?Choose one or more:
A.) oncogenes
B.) proteins with loss-of-function mutations
C.) proteins with gain-of-function mutations
D.) tumor suppressor genes

Answer 1

Answer:

A) and C.) Mutations in oncogenes and mutations in proteins with gain-of-function  

Explanation:

Mutations in oncogenes may trigger desired effects (for example, apoptosis in cancer cells), thereby resulting in the same effects such as those during the use of these drugs; while gain-of-function mutations of target genes may also enable to examine the effects of drugs that trigger ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation

Answer 2

Answer:

The correct answers are option A.) "oncogenes" and option C.) "proteins with gain-of-function mutations".

Explanation:

The recent and promising approach that takes advantage of cellular natural mechanism of degrading proteins, most likely target people that have cancer as a result of oncogenes or proteins with gain-of-function mutations. Oncogenes are genes that are translated to proteins that can cause cancer while proteins with gain-of-function mutations are those who acquire a function that leads to cancer as a result of a mutation. The new drugs will lead to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of the target protein, which could be any of these two types of proteins.