Current Genomics - Volume 3, Issue 5, 2002

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies affecting women; thus, much effort has been put into understanding the genetics of predisposition to breast cancer as well as identifying factors involved in tumor progression and cancer prognosis. Conventional genetics was used to map and clone the two breast / ovarian cancer predisposition genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. However, the vast majority of breast cancer Read More

The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins and their mechanisms of signaling were originally discovered in the context of normal interferon signaling, where they have been shown to have specific roles in mediating host defenses. It is now known that many cytokines, hormones and growth factors utilize STAT signaling pathways to control a remarkable variety of biological responses, including develop Read More

Cancer arises as the result of sequential alterations in growth-controlling genes. Epigenetic factors, such as angiogenesis and surrounding micro-environment can also affect cancer initiation and progression. Tumorigenesis is accompanied by important changes in gene expression in the tumor cell as compared to its normal counterpart. The advent of powerful new techniques such as microarray technology and SAGE has Read More

Normal cellular growth control reflects a carefully orchestrated series of signal transduction events that culminate in changes in gene expression. The proliferative response, in multicellular organisms, is initiated by environmental cues, contributed largely by growth factors, and adhesive influences, provided by the extracellular matrix (ECM). The integrin family of heterodimeric receptors mediates adhesion of cells to the Read More

The resistance to growth inhibition commonly observed in a variety of TGFβ disabled human cancers, the potential role of TGFβ in the exacerbation of malignancy and the effects of TGFβ in suppressing the immune system, all emphasize the importance of pathways mediated by this polypeptide to the neoplastic process. Early investigations to understand the molecular basis of cancer due to defects in TGFβ signaling were concen Read More

Breast cancers are highly variable with regard to pathological and clinical features. While various different cancers being at different stages of tumor progression might explain some of this variability, we must also consider evidence that breast cancers can also develop along different molecular pathways. This manuscript discusses the extensive heterogeneity of breast cancer at the pathological and molecular level, re Read More