TCTN2: a novel tumor marker with oncogenic properties.

Tectonic family member 2 () encodes a transmembrane protein that belongs to the tectonic family, which is involved in ciliary functions. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of tectonics in regulating a variety of signaling pathways at the transition zone of cilia. However, the role of tectonics in cancer is still unclear.

ERMP1, a novel potential oncogene involved in UPR and oxidative stress defense, is highly expressed in human cancer.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) are highly activated in cancer and involved in tumorigenesis and resistance to anti-cancer therapy. UPR is becoming a promising target of anti-cancer therapies. Thus, the identification of UPR components that are highly expressed in cancer could offer new therapeutic opportunity.

FAT1: a potential target for monoclonal antibody therapy in colon cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. The currently approved therapeutic agents have limited efficacy.

Methods: The atypical cadherin FAT1 was discovered as a novel CRC-associated protein by using a monoclonal antibody (mAb198.

Angiopoietin-like 7, a novel pro-angiogenetic factor over-expressed in cancer.

Angiopoietin-like (ANGPTL) proteins are secreted proteins showing structural similarity to members of the angiopoietin family. Some ANGPTL proteins possess pleiotropic activities, being involved in cancer lipid, glucose energy metabolisms, and angiogenesis. ANGPTL7 is the less characterized member of the family whose functional role is only marginally known.

Identification of new hematopoietic cell subsets with a polyclonal antibody library specific for neglected proteins.

The identification of new markers, the expression of which defines new phenotipically and functionally distinct cell subsets, is a main objective in cell biology. We have addressed the issue of identifying new cell specific markers with a reverse proteomic approach whereby approximately 1700 human open reading frames encoding proteins predicted to be transmembrane or secreted have been selected in silico for being poorly known, cloned and expressed in bacteria. These proteins have been purified and used to immunize mice with the aim of obtaining polyclonal antisera mostly specific for linear epitopes.