key: cord-0880219-r9me5nwx authors: Parker, Peter J.; Kishore, Uday title: Editorial: Signaling by Small GTPases in Metastatic Disease date: 2022-01-21 journal: Front Cell Dev Biol DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.841572 sha: 1b7d174b09d765cd54099a3175b2932eff54ee97 doc_id: 880219 cord_uid: r9me5nwx nan ]. Understanding these pathways, therefore, constitutes an important element in any attack on these processes. In this volume, invited contributors review various aspects of the actions of some key representatives of the small GTPase superfamily. The validation of these as targets, their direct or indirect targeting and the potential for utility in the clinic are discussed. It is evident that much progress has been made in specific approaches to this general problem of intervention but nevertheless there is a great deal to do in exploiting our knowledge of these proteins to the benefit of patients. It is hoped that the articles in this volume will further stimulate efforts in this direction. Dr Sunil Kumar Verma (1974 -2021 It is with great sadness that we mourn the death of Dr Sunil Kumar Verma, who was the main Guest Editor of this special issue. Sunil contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequently passed away due to COVID-19 pneumonia on 31 st May 2021 in the Indian City of Hyderabad, where he worked as a Principal Scientist within the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research). We came to know and work with Sunil while he was doing his DPhil (PhD) degree in Medical Oncology from the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford. He also worked in the laboratory of Prof Peter Parker at the ICRF, London, UK during the latter half of his DPhil degree. Sunil was a well-known scientific figure in India for his contributions to the development of a DNA barcoding method, in collaboration with his mentor, Prof Lalji Singh. This application is used to great effect in wildlife forensics. Sunil had a stellar career at the national level that brought him several prizes and awards, including CSIR Technology Award, NRDC Meritorious Invention Award, Emerging Forensic Scientist Continental Award, and BioAsia Innovation Award. He was also the recipient of Lindau Fellowship, Commonwealth Scholarship, Max Plank Visiting Fellowship, and DAAD ambassadorship. Sunil grew up in a small village called Tikri in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He studied his BSc in Agriculture and Food Technology from the GB Pant University. All through his life, he remained a very humble, honest and hardworking person. He also carried out a range of outreach activities including publishing a series of poems on India's topical issues. Sunil will be sorely missed by his mentors, colleagues, family and friends. Rest in Peace! Peter Parker, London, United Kingdom Uday Kishore, London, United Kingdom PP and UK drafted and edited jointly. Both authors approved the submitted version. Rho GTPases: Regulation and Roles in Cancer Cell Biology Therapeutic Targeting of Oncogenic K-Ras by a Covalent Catalytic Site Inhibitor Invited Review: Small GTPases and Their GAPs RAS-targeted Therapies: Is the Undruggable Drugged Targeting PAK1 Structural Insights into the Regulation Mechanism of Small GTPases by GEFs Rho GTPases in Cancer Cell Biology The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.