Genomic Approaches to Identify biomarkers for Esophageal Cancer in North East India
Sunita Saxena,
Director,
National Institute of Pathology
Esophageal Cancer (EC) represents the third most common G.I malignancy and ranks among the ten most common cancers worldwide. The highest incidence of this cancer in India has been reported from Assam in the North-east region where it is the second leading cancer in men and third leading cancer in women. A familial aggregation of esophagial cancer has been reported in Assam region of North East India along with high consumption of beetle quid, tobacco and alcohal suggesting that environmental carcinogens in addition to geographic and genetic factors may play major etiological role. Integrated genomic approaches have been under taken to understand molecular carcinogenesis and to identify biomarker.
Analysis of gene expression profile of tumour tissue from 16 non familial betel quid/tobacco chewing patients of esophageal cancer from Dr. B. Borooah cancer Hospital, Guwahati, Assam showed up regulation of MAPK pathway, G-protein coupled receptor family, ion transport activity, and serine or threonine kinase activity and down regulation of structural constituent of ribosome, endopeptidase inhibitor activity, structural constituent of cytoskeleton, antioxidant activity, acyl group transferase activity, eukaryotic translation elongation factor activit Gene expression profile of patients having family history of esophageal cancer showed downregulation of genes involved in humoral immune response (PF4), extracellular matrix organization (COL4A4), metabolism of xenobiotics (EPHX1), TGF-ß signaling (SMAD1) and calcium signaling pathways (VDAC1) and up regulation of genes involved in regulation of actin cytoskeleton (WASL), neuroactive ligand receptor interaction (GRM3), Toll-like receptor (CD14), B-cell receptor (IFITM1) and insulin signaling pathways (FOXO1A). Study of high-resolution chromosomal instability profile showed amplifications on chromosomes arms 1p36.13, 1q21.1, 2p14, 3q28, 3q27, 3q26.1, 5p15.2, 5q11.2, 6p25.3, 7q11.21, 9q31.3, and17p13.1 and frequent de
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