engleski

Loss of heterozygosity of the APC gene found in a single case of oligoastrocytoma

This study analyses genetic changes of APC gene in 29 years old female patient with oligoastrocytoma. Oligoastrocytoma is a tumor which is composed of a mixture of two distinct neoplastic cell types morphologically resembling the tumor cells in astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. Our interest in elucidating the role of the APC gene was based on the fact that it is highly expressed in the central nervous system and upon the finding that APC protein is critically involved in particular syndromes among which the brain tumors play a significant role. Besides the structural role of the APC gene in cellular architecture, the protein product of the APC gene plays a signaling role as a component of the wnt signal transduction pathway which therefore makes it directly involved in initiation of neuronal differentiation. Using DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction and other molecular biology methods we found loss of heterozygosity in APC"s exon 11. We consider our finding as a small but relevant contribution to understanding of complicated pathophysiological mechanisms in brain tumor developing processes. This finding should be seen in the light of using the genetic therapy as promising modality in treating brain tumors in the future.

oligoastrocytoma; APC gene; loss of heterozygosity

nije evidentirano