Anime!

Scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have identified a new cellular oncogene essential for the development of cancer. Oncogenes are genes that, when mutated or dysfunctional, lead normal cells to become cancerous. You'll never guessed what they named the gene!

The investigators have named the gene POKEMON (for POK Erythroid Myeloid Ontogenic factor).

Pokemon works by controlling the pathways that are required to transform normal cells to cancerous ones. The researchers found that when they “knocked out” the Pokemon gene in mice, that transformation was blocked and cells do not become cancerous.

“Pokemon is a main switch in the molecular network that leads toward cancer,” Dr. Pandolfi added. “If we could turn Pokemon off, it may block this oncogenic circuitry and stall the malignant process.”