oncogene

American  

[ong-kuh-jeen] / ˈɒŋ kəˌdʒin /

noun

Genetics.

1. any gene that is a causative factor in the initiation of cancerous growth.

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oncogene British  

/ ˈɒŋkəʊˌdʒiːn /

noun

1. any of several genes, first identified in viruses but present in all cells, that when abnormally activated can cause cancer

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oncogene Scientific  

/ ŏn′kə-jēn /

1. A gene that causes normal cells to become cancerous either because the gene is mutated or because the gene is expressed at the wrong time in development.

2. See Note at cancer

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oncogene Cultural  

1. Genes in animal DNA that cause cancer.

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Discover More

Every cell contains genes that, when altered slightly, can become oncogenes.

Etymology

Origin of oncogene

First recorded in 1965–70; onco- + gene

Compare meaning

How does oncogene compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• proto-oncogene vs. oncogene

Example Sentences

It is also a potent oncogene, meaning the very growth it promotes in skeletal muscle could stimulate cellular proliferation if overexpressed in organs like the liver, resulting in tumors.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024

For this activation to succeed, aspirin additionally suppresses the oncogene product c-MYC, which otherwise inhibits NRF2.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023

An example of an oncogene involved in cancer is a protein called myc.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

For example, HER2-positive breast cancers involve a mutated HER2 oncogene, which produces a protein that increases the growth of cancer cells.

From Nature • Mar. 24, 2020

They were attacking the cancer with a new cocktail: two chemo drugs and a protein receptor that they hoped would turn off the oncogene in Gus’s cancer.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green