Analysis of the H-Ras mobility pattern in vivo shows cellular heterogeneity inside epidermal tissue

First person – Radoslaw Gora

First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Radoslaw Gora is first author on ‘ Analysis of the H-Ras mobility pattern in vivo shows cellular heterogeneity inside epidermal tissue’, published in DMM. Radoslaw is a PhD student in the lab of Dr Marcel Schaaf at Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, investigating protein mobility patterns by use of single-molecule microscopy techniques.

Understanding and drugging RAS: 40 years to break the tip of the iceberg

Several cancers and rare genetic diseases are caused by dysregulation in the RAS signaling pathway. RAS proteins serve as molecular switches that regulate pathways involved in cellular growth, differentiation and survival. These pathways have been an intense area of investigation for four decades, since the initial identification of somatic RAS mutations linked to human cancers. In the past few years, inhibitors against several RAS effectors, as well as direct inhibitors of the K-RAS mutant G12C, have been developed. This Special Issue in DMM includes original Research articles on RAS-driven cancers and RASopathies. The articles provide insights into mechanisms and biomarkers, and evaluate therapeutic targets. Several articles also present new disease models, whereas others describe technologies or approaches to evaluate the function of RAS in vivo. The collection also includes a series of Review articles on RAS biology and translational aspects of defining and treating RAS-driven diseases. In this Editorial, we summarize this collection and discuss the potential impact of the articles within this evolving area of research. We also identify areas of growth and possible future developments.

Summary: This Editorial introduces DMM’s new Special Issue on the RAS pathway. The Guest Editors reflect on the impact of the featured articles on the landscape of the RAS field.