What is the RET proto-oncogene?

The RET proto-oncogene is a segment of DNA that provides the code that cells in the body use to produce a structure called a membrane receptor. The segment of DNA that comprises the RET proto-oncogene is made up of a series of smaller components called base pairs that are arranged in a very specific sequence. If disruption occurs that causes rearrangement of this sequence of base pairs, that rearrangement is considered to be a mutation. A number of different rearrangements causing mutations have been discovered in the RET proto-oncogene. Specific mutations have been associated with the development of MEN 2A, MEN 2B, and FMTC. In inherited disorders, these mutations are present in all of the cells in the body, and as such may be passed down from parents to their children. Sophisticated laboratory tests can be used to check for the presence of mutations in the RET proto-oncogene in patients with medullary thyroid cancer.

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