A Genome-Wide Scan Identifies Variants in NFIB Associated with Metastasis in Patients with Osteosarcoma.

Unlabelled: Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with osteosarcoma, the most common pediatric bone malignancy. We conducted a multistage genome-wide association study of osteosarcoma metastasis at diagnosis in 935 osteosarcoma patients to determine whether germline genetic variation contributes to risk of metastasis. We identified an SNP, rs7034162, in NFIB significantly associated with metastasis in European osteosarcoma cases, as well as in cases of African and Brazilian ancestry (meta-analysis of all cases: P = 1.

Investigation of IGF2, Hedgehog and fusion gene expression profiles in pediatric sarcomas.

Unlabelled: The childhood sarcomas are malignant tumors with high mortality rates. They are divided into two genetic categories: a category without distinct pattern karyotypic changes and the other category showing unique translocations that originate gene rearrangements. This category includes rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), Ewing's sarcoma (ES) and synovial sarcoma (SS).

Expression profiling using a cDNA array and immunohistochemistry for the extracellular matrix genes FN-1, ITGA-3, ITGB-5, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in colorectal carcinoma progression and dissemination.

Colorectal cancer dissemination depends on extracellular matrix genes related to remodeling and degradation of the matrix structure. This investigation intended to evaluate the association between FN-1, ITGA-3, ITGB-5, MMP-2, and MMP-9 gene and protein expression levels in tumor tissue with clinical and histopathological neoplastic parameters of cancer dissemination. The expression associations between ECM molecules and selected epithelial markers EGFR, VEGF, Bcl2, P53, and KI-67 have also been examined in 114 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent primary tumor resection.

Genome-wide association study identifies two susceptibility loci for osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy of adolescents and young adults. To better understand the genetic etiology of osteosarcoma, we performed a multistage genome-wide association study consisting of 941 individuals with osteosarcoma (cases) and 3,291 cancer-free adult controls of European ancestry. Two loci achieved genome-wide significance: a locus in the GRM4 gene at 6p21.

C-kit expression in human osteosarcoma and in vitro assays.

Biologic agents targeting oncogenes have encourage researchs trying to correlate the role of tyrosine kinase in the pathogenesis of tumours. Osteosarcoma is a high grade aggressive neoplasm with poor survival. Our aim was to investigate c-kit immunoexpression, its prognostic relevance for patients with osteosarcoma, and the effect of imatinib mesylate (STI571) on proliferation and invasion of the human osteosarcoma cell line.

ASPM gene expression in medulloblastoma.

Purpose: Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant tumors of the central nervous system in childhood. The incidence is about 19-20% between children younger than 16 years old with peak incidence between 4 and 7 years. Despite its sensibility to no specific therapeutic means like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the treatment is very aggressive and frequently results in regression, growth deficit, and endocrine dysfunction.

Glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms in osteosarcoma patients.

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Multidrug resistance and poor clinical outcome are the problems that still affect osteosarcoma patients. The glutathione S-transferase supergene family includes several genes that encode enzymes involved in the detoxification of many xenobiotic agents, including carcinogens and anticancer drugs.

TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, IL-6, IL-10, PECAM-1 and the MPO inflammatory gene polymorphisms in osteosarcoma.

The inflammatory microenvironment of tumors is characterized by the presence of cytokines and growth factor's network both in the supporting stroma and in tumor areas. These molecules may contribute to tumoral growth and progression, facilitating metastatic process. Therefore, cancer susceptibility and severity may be associated with the functional polymorphisms of inflammatory genes.

Expression of major vault protein gene in osteosarcoma patients.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant tumor of bone. Despite the successful use of multiple chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of OS, more than 30% of OS tumors remain resistant to treatment. Elucidation of cellular resistance mechanisms may lead to better treatments for cancer patients.

Effects of THBS3, SPARC and SPP1 expression on biological behavior and survival in patients with osteosarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma is a very aggressive tumor with a propensity to metastasize and invade surrounding tissue. Identification of the molecular determinants of invasion and metastatic potential may guide the development of a rational strategy for devising specific therapies that target the pathways leading to osteosarcoma.

Methods: In this study, we used pathway-focused low density expression cDNA arrays to screen for candidate genes related to tumor progression.

Metaphase and array comparative genomic hybridization: unique copy number changes and gene amplification of medulloblastomas in South America.

Tumors of the central nervous system are the second most frequent malignancy of childhood, accounting for the majority of cancer-related deaths in this age group. Among these tumors, medulloblastomas (MB) remain in need of further genomic characterization toward understanding of pathogenesis and outcome predictors. Eight pediatric embryonal brain tumors were analyzed: five MB (one being desmoplastic), one PNET, one medulloepithelioma, and one ependymoblastoma.

Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of pediatric adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas and a review of the literature.

Object: The purpose of this study was to examine chromosomal gains and losses in 11 pediatric adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas by using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), as well as to review the cytogenetic literature that has contributed to the characterization of these tumors. One source of confusion in the cytogenetic and CGH literature concerning craniopharyngioma is that the authors of most studies fail to distinguish between pediatric and later-onset forms of the disease. Thus, this study was focused on pediatric craniopharyngioma.