Survivin Expression in Childhood Medulloblastomas: A Possible Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker
Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis gene family that is expressed in embryonic tissues during human ontogenesis and most human malignancies, but it is not present in the majority of normal adult tissues. Survivin is also a chromosomal passenger protein required for physiological cell...
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Published in | In vivo (Athens) Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 713 - 718 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Greece
International Institute of Anticancer Research
01.11.2004
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis gene family that is expressed in embryonic tissues during human ontogenesis
and most human malignancies, but it is not present in the majority of normal adult tissues. Survivin is also a chromosomal
passenger protein required for physiological cell divison. Survivin blocks apoptosis, via its BIR domain, by either directly
or indirectly blocking the function of the members of the caspase cascade. The expression of this apoptosis inhibitor protein
in medulloblastomas (MEDs) was examined for the first time. During the immunohistochemical study, a sensitive, four-step,
alkaline phosphatase conjugated antigen detection technique was employed. The results did, in fact, demonstrate the presence
of survivin in 10 to 50 per cent of medulloblastoma (MED) cells with medium intensity immunoreactivity (++, B) in this neuroectodermal
brain tumor. These results indicate that survivin is probably not only a diagnostic marker, but also an important prognostic
marker for MEDs/PNETs and may be useful in the future grading of malignancy in MEDs, much as grading is done today for astrocytomas
(ASTRs). Furthermore, the almost exclusive neoplastic expression of survivin will allow development of new antineoplastic,
immunotherapeutic strategies. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0258-851X 1791-7549 |