# WAS

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/was/  
OnCo record `was` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

WAS (Actin nucleation-promoting factor WAS) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Skin cancer, Medulloblastoma and Melanoma.

## Summary

Effector protein for Rho-type GTPases that regulates actin filament reorganisation via its interaction with the Arp2/3 complex. Important for efficient actin polymerisation. Possible regulator of lymphocyte and platelet function.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.61 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.79, animal model 0.63, genetic association 0.00, somatic mutation 0.96). IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Medulloblastoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: WASP actin nucleation promoting factor; Actin nucleation-promoting factor WAS; WASPA; IMD2
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: WAS
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Effector protein for Rho-type GTPases that regulates actin filament reorganisation via its interaction with the Arp2/3 complex. Important for efficient actin polymerisation. Possible regulator of lymphocyte and platelet function. Mediates actin filament reorganisation and the formation of actin pedestals upon infection by pathogenic bacteria. In addition to its role in the cytoplasmic cytoskeleton, also promotes actin polymerisation in the nucleus, thereby regulating gene transcription and repair of damaged DNA. Promotes homologous recombination (HR) repair in response to DNA damage by promoting nuclear actin polymerisation, leading to drive motility of double-strand breaks (DSBs). Location: Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton; Nucleus (UniProt). Locus Xp11.23 (HGNC).
- Where found: Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.55 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Medulloblastoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (MBL); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.52 with melanoma (MONDO_0005105)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:12731: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:12731
- UniProt P42768: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P42768/entry
- NCBI Gene 7454: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7454
- Ensembl ENSG00000015285: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000015285

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Medulloblastoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/medulloblastoma/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/was.json