前沿科技及其它

Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines can be used both in vitro and in vivo to create anti-hormone resistance. Estrogen withdrawal in vitro results in spontaneous growth of MCF-7 cells. Similarly, culture in the selective ER modulators (SERMs) tamoxifen and ralox ...

Phospho-specific antibodies have become very useful reagents for study of signal transduction pathways. This chapter describes the production of phospho-specific antibodies and their use to assess individual phosphorylation events in vivo in cells. The first step involves the s ...

For cellular-invasive processes during a variety of physio- and pathophysiological events, including cancer, a fine-tuned balance between the formation and loosening of cell adhesive contacts has to occur, implicating the action of pericellular proteases; among those, the serine ...

The analysis of gene expression patterns by filter-based complementary (c)DNA microarray remains an important technique in the molecular biology laboratory, despite the development of large-scale cDNA microarray analysis (see Chapter 27). This chapter provides an overview of t ...

The tumour suppressor gene, TP 53 (commonly also called p53) has multiple, important cellular functions involving control of apoptosis, downstream cell cycle regulation via p21 and cyclin dependent kinases, and control of tumour angiogenesis. Somatic mutation of TP 53 is considered to be ...

The measurement of the expression of hormonally regulated genes in breast cancer may provide an indication of its hormone responsiveness. In addition, these genes may provide novel therapeutic targets. This chapter reviews the hormonally responsive genes that have been identified ...

A robust ribonuclease protection assay is described here. In brief, total cellular RNA, carrier yeast transfer RNA, and 32P-labeled antisense riboprobes, (one or more designed to detect the RNA species being studied and another to detect a suitable RNA species to act as a loading control) are com ...

This chapter describes methods that allow researchers to localize sites of gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels, within a histological section of a single tissue or tissue microarrays. Identification of the cells within a tumor specimen that express a specific mRNA (assessed ...

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is increasingly recognized as the most accurate and predictive test for both HER2 gene amplification or expression and response to Herceptin™ therapy in breast cancer. Diagnostic procedures for FISH require rigorous quality control, as wi ...

This chapter details methods used for analysis of DNA copy-number changes in breast tumor tissues through the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization. The specific DNA probe described herein is the oncogene c-myc, although the tissue fluorescence in situ hybridization methodology p ...

This chapter discusses the complementary methodologies of fluorescence in situ hybridization and comparative genomic hybridization. Fluorescence in situ hybridization uses fluorescently labeled DNA probes (whole chromosomes, centromere, or locus-specific seque ...

The determination of the protein content of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor, PAI-1, in breast cancer tissue extracts is used clinically to identify patients at risk to experience disease recurrence (metastasis) or early death. The serine protease uPA, in co ...

Proteomics has emerged as a powerful approach for studying disease-associated changes in protein levels. The most commonly used method in proteomics studies remains two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, but the methodology, standardization, and interpretation of the resul ...

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting to detect proteins and glycoproteins is one of the most widely used and broadly useful techniques in cancer research, allowing the proteins in a complex sample—such as a blood fsample, aspira ...

Lectins are naturally occurring, carbohydrate-binding molecules that can be isolated from diverse biological sources and used in the laboratory to investigate the presence of carbohydrate structures in or on cells, in much the same way as antibodies can be used to probe cells and tissues for ...

The outcome of breast cancer in an individual patient can be predicted by assessing a range of factors relating to the particular cancer. This assessment can be used to select treatments that are most likely to be successful, and to avoid futile or unnecessarily aggressive procedures. Histopa ...

Over the last few years, great advances in our understanding in tumor neovascularization have emerged, with several new mechanisms of neovascularization being proposed. Solid tumors establish a vasculature through angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, vascular remodeling, co-o ...

Apoptosis is a physiological process that occurs in cells during development and normal cellular processes. The useless, unwanted, or damaged cells die during the apoptotic process. However, if signals instructing cells to carry out apoptosis are lost, a variety of malignant disorders m ...

The estrogen receptor (ER) status and, to a lesser extent, progesterone receptor status have been recommended by recently published guidelines as important for routine prognostic and predictive evaluation of breast cancer. Although the clinical utility of ER status has been largely v ...

Nodal staging is the most important prognostic factor in the management of patients with breast cancer. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure enables selective targeting of the first lumph node that drains the tumor when the initial metastases occur. A negative sentinel node predicts the ab ...