Background
BRAF is a gene found on chromosome seven that encodes a protein also called BRAF. This protein plays a role in cell growth by sending signals inside the cell promoting, among other functions, cell division. The identifcaiton of BRAF as a oncogene has led to the repaid deviopement of several therapeutical anticancer drugs, such as vemurafenib and dabrafenib.
Ba/F3, a murine interleukin-3 dependent pro-B cell line is increasingly popular as a model system for assessing both the potency and downstream signaling of kinase oncogenes, and the ability of small-molecule kinase inhibitors to block kinase activity.
