Relationship between tumor microbiota transcriptional activity and gene expression in breast cancer.

Background: A few studies have reported the distribution of the microbiota in breast cancer tissues, but few reports have compared the microbiota in different subtypes of breast cancer tissue. Moreover, no study has reported on the relationship between the microbiota and gene expression in breast tumor.

Methods: Sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue were prepared from the breast tumors of 70 patients and were subjected to microarray analysis to identify gene expression profiles.

Validation of specificity of antibodies for immunohistochemistry: the case of ROR2.

The Wnt signalling receptor receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) is implicated in numerous human cancers. However, there have been conflicting reports regarding ROR2 expression, some studies showing upregulation and others downregulation of ROR2 in the same cancer type. The majority of these studies used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect ROR2 protein, without validation of the used antibodies.

ROR2 is epigenetically inactivated in the early stages of colorectal neoplasia and is associated with proliferation and migration.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely linked to Wnt signalling, with 94 % of cases exhibiting a Wnt related mutation. ROR2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is thought to repress β-catenin dependent Wnt signalling. Our study aims to determine if ROR2 is epigenetically silenced in CRC and determine if in vitro silencing of ROR2 potentiates Wnt signalling, and alters the proliferative, migratory or invasive potential of cells.

The Wnt gatekeeper SFRP4 modulates EMT, cell migration and downstream Wnt signalling in serous ovarian cancer cells.

Aberrant Wnt signalling is implicated in numerous human cancers, and understanding the effects of modulation of pathway members may lead to the development of novel therapeutics. Expression of secreted frizzled related protein 4 (SFRP4), an extracellular modulator of the Wnt signalling pathway, is progressively lost in more aggressive ovarian cancer phenotypes. Here we show that recombinant SFRP4 (rSFRP4) treatment of a serous ovarian cancer cell line results in inhibition of β-catenin dependent Wnt signalling as measured by TOP/FOP Wnt reporter assay and decreased transcription of Wnt target genes, Axin2, CyclinD1 and Myc.