In:
Clinical Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Vol. 13, No. 16 ( 2007-08-15), p. 4695-4703
Abstract:
Purpose: Amplified MYCN oncogene defines a subgroup of neuroblastomas with poor outcome. However, a substantial number of MYCN single-copy neuroblastomas exhibits an aggressive phenotype similar to that of MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas even in the absence of high MYCN mRNA and/or protein levels. Experimental Design: To identify shared molecular mechanisms that mediate the aggressive phenotype in MYCN-amplified and single-copy high-risk neuroblastomas, we defined genetic programs evoked by ectopically expressed MYCN in vitro and analyzed them in high-risk versus low-risk neuroblastoma tumors (n = 49) using cDNA microarrays. Candidate gene expression was validated in a separate cohort of 117 patients using quantitative PCR, and protein expression was analyzed in neuroblastoma tumors by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Results: We identified a genetic signature characterized by a subset of MYCN/MYC and E2F targets, including Skp2, encoding the F-box protein of the SCFSkp2 E3-ligase, to be highly expressed in high-risk neuroblastomas independent of amplified MYCN. We validated the findings for Skp2 and analyzed its expression in relation to MYCN and E2F-1 expression in a separate cohort (n = 117) using quantitative PCR. High Skp2 expression proved to be a highly significant marker of dire prognosis independent of both MYCN status and disease stage, on the basis of multivariate analysis of event-free survival (hazard ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-8.00; P = 0.002). Skp2 protein expression was inversely correlated with expression of p27, the primary target of the SCFSkp2 E3-ligase, in neuroblastoma tumors. Conclusion: Skp2 may have a key role in the progression of neuroblastomas and should make an attractive target for therapeutic approaches.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1078-0432
,
1557-3265
DOI:
10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-2818
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Publication Date:
2007
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1225457-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2036787-9
Permalink
