ABSTRACT
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous group of tumours characterised by lack of expression of oestrogen-, progesterone- and human epidermal growth factor receptors. TNBC, which represents approximately 15% of all mammary tumours, has a poor prognosis because of an aggressive behaviour and the lack of specific treatment. Accordingly, TNBC has become a major focus of research into breast cancer and is now classified into several molecular subtypes, each with a different prognosis. Pathological angiogenesis occurs at a late stage in the proliferation of TNBC and is associated with invasion and metastasis; there is an association with metabolic syndrome. Semaphorins are a versatile family of proteins with multiple roles in angiogenesis, tumour growth and metastasis and may represent a clinically useful focus for therapeutic targeting in this type of breast cancer. Another important field of investigation into the control of pathological angiogenesis is related to the expression of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) - these molecules can be considered as a therapeutic target or as a biomarker. Several molecular agents for intervening in the activity of different signalling pathways are being explored in TNBC, but none has so far proved effective in clinical trials and the disease continues to pose a defining challenge for clinical management as well as innovative cancer research.
Subject(s)
Neovascularization, Pathologic , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/etiology , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Angiogenesis Inhibitors/pharmacology , Angiogenesis Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Clinical Studies as Topic , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Female , Gene Expression Profiling/methods , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Metabolic Syndrome/metabolism , Metabolic Syndrome/pathology , Neovascularization, Pathologic/drug therapy , Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics , Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism , Proteome , Proteomics/methods , RNA, Untranslated/genetics , Semaphorins/genetics , Semaphorins/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/therapyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) varies considerably, and there is a compelling need to identify novel biomarkers with prognostic significance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of a panel of six genes (CDH1, SMAD3, TGFß1, ICAM-1, TIMP-1 and MUC12) in CRC patients. METHODS. We evaluated these genes by qRT-PCR in normal and CRC tumor tissue, and correlated the relative gene expression values with clinical, pathological aspects and other biological factors. RESULTS. RNA expression levels of CDH1, SMAD3, TGFß1, ICAM-1, TIMP-1 and MUC12 were measured by qRT-PCR in a set of 39 tumor samples and non-cancer tissue. Statistically significant increases in expression levels were found for ICAM-1 and TIMP-1 when comparing tumor samples to the non-tumor group. CONCLUSIONS. Among the genes which displayed differential expressions between tumor tissue and adjoining normal tissue, the ones that presented statistically significant correlations were TIMP-1 and SMAD3, possibly with prognostic significance.
