Overview:

RET or ret proto-oncogene is a member of the cadherin superfamily that encodes one of the receptor tyrosine kinases, which are cell-surface molecules that transduce signals for cell growth and differentiation. RET can undergo oncogenic activation in vivo and in vitro by cytogenetic rearrangement (1). RET signaling pathway, by regulating the development of both the nervous and lymphoid system in the gut, plays a key role in the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate intestine organogenesis (2). The KIF5B-RET fusion was reported to be one of the driver mutations of lung adenocarcinomas and that Vandetanib inhibits the anchorage-independent growth activity induced by the fusion.

Gene Aliases:

KIF5B: KINH, UKHC, KNS
RET: CDHF12, RET51, PTC, RET-ELE1; RET/PTC2

Genbank Number:

NM_004521
NM_020630

References:

1. Grieco, M. et.al: PTC is a novel rearranged form of the ret proto-oncogene and is frequently detected in vivo in human thyroid papillary carcinomas. Cell 60: 557-563, 1990.
2. Veiga-Fernandes, H. et.al: Tyrosine kinase receptors RET is a key regulator of Peyer's patch organogenesis. Nature 446: 547-551, 2007.
3. Kohno T, et al. : KIF5B-RET fusions in lung adenocarcinoma. Nat Med. 2012 Feb 12;18(3):375-7.