The Myc and Ras Partnership in Cancer: Indistinguishable Alliance or Contextual Relationship?

Abstract

Myc and Ras are two of the most commonly activated oncogenes in tumorigenesis. Together and independently they regulate many cancer hallmarks including proliferation, apoptosis, and self-renewal. Recently, they were shown to cooperate to regulate host tumor microenvironment programs including host immune responses. But, is their partnership always cooperative or do they have distinguishable functions? Here, we provide one perspective that Myc and Ras cooperation depends on the genetic evolution of a particular cancer. This in turn, dictates when they cooperate via overlapping and identifiably distinct cellular- and host immune-dependent mechanisms that are cancer type specific.