what are oncogenes

Oncogenes are a group of genes that cause normal cells to become cancerous when they are mutated. They are a mutated form of genes that manage cell growth and division. Before an oncogene becomes mutated, it is called a proto-oncogene, and it plays a role in regulating normal cell division. Cancer can arise when a proto-oncogene is mutated, changing it into an oncogene and causing the cell to divide and multiply uncontrollably. Some oncogenes work like an accelerator pedal in a car, pushing a cell to divide again and again, while others work like a faulty brake in a car parked on a hill, also causing the cell to divide unchecked. Oncogenes can be turned on in cells in different ways, such as through gene variants/mutations or epigenetic changes. Understanding the relationship between oncogenes and cancer helps medical researchers develop treatments targeting oncogenes and effectively treating the cancers that oncogenes cause and support.