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oncogene
noun
on·co·gene
ˈäŋ-kō-ˌjēn
: a gene having the potential to cause a normal cell to become cancerous
Examples of oncogene in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At first scientists thought TP53 was an oncogene, meaning that mutations within it would cause cancer.
—Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 17 May 2021
Traditional treatments use mutation location To attempt to answer this question, our research team chose to focus on one oncogene in lung cancer, EGFR, or epidermal growth factor receptor.
—Jacqulyne Robichaux, The Conversation, 25 Oct. 2021
The mutation that transforms KRAS into an oncogene locks the protein into an active state, permanently bound to GTP, causing cells to grow uncontrollably.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 16 June 2021
In the case of cancer, this means some cells wind up with more oncogenes than the others.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2019
The cancer genes, called oncogenes, were not malignant in themselves, Dr. Leder and his research team concluded.
—Matt Schudel, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2020
Daughter cells with more copies of these oncogenes grow faster, as do their descendants, Mischel said.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2019
The drug targets overexpressed estrogen receptors that can be predicted by the Her-2/Neu oncogene, which was discovered more than a decade earlier.
—Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2019
This allows mutated cancer-promoting genes called oncogenes to activate cell surface receptors, molecular portals to the cell’s interior.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2019
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Word History
First Known Use
1969, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near oncogene
Cite this Entry
“Oncogene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oncogene. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
oncogene
noun
on·co·gene
ˈäŋ-kō-ˌjēn
: a gene having the potential to cause a normal cell to become cancerous
Medical Definition
oncogene
noun
on·co·gene
ˈäŋ-kō-ˌjēn
: a gene having the potential to cause a normal cell to become cancerous
More from Merriam-Webster on oncogene
Britannica English: Translation of oncogene for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oncogene
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