Italian Scientists Tie Trop-2 Gene to Tumor Growth
Scientists from the University of Chieti in Italy have found that a gene which normally functions in the placenta during the early stages of pregnancy is also expressed in most human cancers.
Professor Saverio Alberti and his team discovered that the Trop-2 gene was involved in the formation of invasive cells needed during the stage between when the egg is fertilized and the embryo is formed. That finding led them to wonder if Trop-2 might also play a part in another invasive function – tumor growth.
To find out, Alberti’s group studied 1,755 tumors using immunohistochemical analysis. Their research showed that Trop-2 was over-expressed 65% to 90% of the time (with a 74% average occurrence) in different categories of tumors. Additionally, the gene was present in the vast majority of human cancers including breast, colon, stomach, lung, prostate, ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and pancreatic cancers.
In comparison, most other known markers appear much less frequently and are only linked to smaller subgroups, such as PSA for prostate cancer.
Unraveling the secrets of two sequence elements present in the Trop-2 cytoplasmic tail has been one of the most intriguing parts of the study, say the researchers. They are hopeful their work will help identify the specific molecules responsible for the formation of metastases. As Professor Alberti stated,
“If we can identify such molecules we will be approaching a situation where we could influence their activity and hence either encourage or prevent it.”
The team presented their findings at the 14th European Cancer Conference held September 23-27, 2007, in Barcelona, Spain.
Source: News-Medical.Net
Related Links: AlphaGalileo.org; The Australian; Philadephia Business Journal
Related Video: “Trop-2 is a major determinant of growth and metastatic spreading of human cancer” presentation from the American Society of Clinical Oncology
Tags: receptor; The Origin-of-Life Prize®; Chieti; blastocyst
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