Mayo Clinic Researchers find 31 genes key to clear renal cell carcinoma -
A genomic analysis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common form of cancer kidney, from 72 patients found 31 genes that are essential for the development, growth and spread of cancer, say researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Eight of these genes has not been previously linked to renal cancer, and six other genes have never been known to be involved in all forms of cancer.
Their study, in the journal Oncotarget , is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the role of gene expression in tumor growth and metastasis ccRCC. The ccRCC subtype accounts for 80 percent of all cases of kidney cancer.
This study is a comprehensive analysis, because the overexpressed genes were functionally tested in kidney cancer cells to ensure that they were important to certain aspects of the cancer process, said study investigator higher, molecular biologist, John A. Copland, Ph.D.
"the power of this study is that we looked at the genes found to be overexpressed in tumors of patients and determined their function in cancer kidney, which was not done on a large scale before, "he said. "This is a decisive step in identifying key pathways and molecules involved in kidney cancer so that specific therapies that target these new genes can be developed to treat this cancer."
This kidney cancer is one of the top 10 solid cancers in the United States researchers expect 60,000 new cases diagnosed this year, with 13,000 deaths. Although the prognosis for kidney cancer that has not spread is good, patients with advanced or metastatic cancer will develop resistance to drugs. Patients with the untreated metastatic disease have a overall survival rate at five years of less than 10 percent.
The research team, which includes Mayo graduate student and lead author Christina von Roemeling, has already published several studies identifying some of the genes they found in genetic analysis. Considering the importance of these findings for patients, they decided to publish all the genes in both Oncotarget .
"We publish these findings to the scientific community so that effort can be mounted to know more about these genes and how they can be effectively targeted," says Dr. Copland. "We have patients quick search that focuses on new treatments to save lives. "
Targeted therapies currently used to treat kidney cancer are often toxic, he added.
"The study results represent a very major advance in the identification of therapeutic targets for ccRCC and open new avenues for the discovery and development. Of new therapeutic agents acting on these new drug targets should make a significant improvement in prognosis of ccRCC patients, "says co-author and Mayo oncologist Han Tun, MD
the researchers examined an equal number of samples (72) of kidney cancer and kidney tissues normal. They looked overproduction and under-expression of the RNA of the tissue, as well as proteins because genes express RNA to produce the protein. They found nearly 6,000 genes that fit this description. They isolated and tested 195 genes that are consistently higher in patient samples. The researchers then narrowed the "hit" list 31 after they tested each in cancer cells alive to see if these genes have contributed to the growth or spread of the tumor.
"We also found genes with other functions that are key to the survival of kidney cancer, such as inflammation. Found another gene is linked to angiogenesis, the production of new blood vessels to support tumor. This is a new discovery, "said von Roemeling." It is particularly important because ccRCC is well known to be a very angiogenic cancer.
"In addition to the potential of these genes and gene products to help us design new drugs, they could also serve as biomarkers for accurate diagnosis," she said. "It really is a treasure for future research on kidney cancer. "
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