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Alpha-2 integrin: A protein predictor of tumor spread?

Date:
December 6, 2010
Source:
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Summary:
A new study suggests that decreased expression of the protein alpha-2 integrin is predictive of tumor dissemination to distant sites and decreased survival in individuals with either breast or prostate cancer.
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Mary Zutter and colleagues, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, have generated data that lead them to suggest that decreased expression of the protein alpha-2 integrin is predictive of tumor dissemination to distant sites and decreased survival in individuals with either breast or prostate cancer.

The researchers first studied the role of the protein alpha-2-beta-1 integrin (which is composed of the alpha-2 integrin protein and the beta-1 integrin protein) in cancer initiation and progression using a clinically relevant, spontaneous mouse model of breast cancer progression and metastasis (spread). Their data indicated that alpha-2-beta-1 integrin suppressed metastasis.

To investigate whether the data had any immediate clinical applicability, a systematic analysis of microarray databases of human breast and prostate cancer was performed. The results of this analysis showed that decreased expression of the gene responsible for generating alpha-2 integrin was predictive of metastasis and decreased survival, leading to the suggestion that alpha-2 integrin expression could be a useful biomarker of metastatic potential and patient survival.

The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.


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Materials provided by Journal of Clinical Investigation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. norma E. Ramirez, Zhonghua Zhang, Aasakiran Madamanchi, Kelli L. Boyd, Lynda D. O’Rear, Abudi Nashabi, Zhengzi Li, William D. Dupont, Andries Zijlstra and Mary M. Zutter. The α2β1 integrin is a metastasis suppressor in mouse models and human cancer. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2010; DOI: 10.1172/JCI42328

Cite This Page:

Journal of Clinical Investigation. "Alpha-2 integrin: A protein predictor of tumor spread?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 December 2010. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206135406.htm>.
Journal of Clinical Investigation. (2010, December 6). Alpha-2 integrin: A protein predictor of tumor spread?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206135406.htm
Journal of Clinical Investigation. "Alpha-2 integrin: A protein predictor of tumor spread?." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206135406.htm (accessed March 29, 2024).

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