NRAS mutation in human endothelial cells causes vascular malformations.

Somatic mutations in NRAS drive the pathogenesis of melanoma and other cancers but their role in vascular anomalies and specifically human endothelial cells is unclear. The goals of this study were to determine whether the somatic-activating NRAS mutation in human endothelial cells induces abnormal angiogenesis and to develop in vitro and in vivo models to identify disease-causing pathways and test inhibitors. Here, we used mutant NRAS and wild-type NRAS (NRAS) expressing human endothelial cells in in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis models.