Hopes of a New Anti-Cancer Drug that Controls Cancer Development Ras mutation facilitates the development of cancer and debilitates the effect of anticancer drugs. Since its first detection 30 years ago, Ras protein has been investigated by multinational pharmaceutical companies and the academia. As a result, studies have found that when the ras protein migrates from its normal position to the cell membrane it causes cancer. Based on this finding, many antibody anti-cancer drugs that hinder the movement of ras protein have been developed. However, follow-up studies have found such drugs to be ineffective to patients who carry ras mutation. A turning point for cancer treatment has thus become the development of anti-cancer drugs that control the state of ras before any mutation has occurred. Recently a domestic research team has discovered a new method to control the activity of ras protein. The study findings have been published on April 10th in Science Signaling, a scientific journal that is weekly published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has high standards as its sister journal Science. Professor Choi Kang-yell (Yonsei Univeristy) said, “The team has found a way to control the activity of ras protein by decomposing it with phosphoric acid.” The team has made a domestic and international patent application for this method. The research team has found out that the phosphoenzyme, which obstructs the signal system and controls cell growth, produces the same effect in ras as well. With phosphoenzyme, ras combines with a protein complex and dissolves after its movement to a protein decomposition location. This process indicates the control of cancer development. Professor Choi explained, “The appearance of ras mutation has generated the opportunity to create a new anti-cancer drug which targets at types of cancer that have not been treated with existing drugs. Anti-cancer drugs that are well aborbed by the body will be produced with decomposed ras substances.”