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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
10:26
In Vitro Differentiation Model of Human Normal Memory B Cells to Long-lived Plasma Cells
Published on: January 20, 2019
Bcl-B expression in human epithelial and nonepithelial malignancies
Maryla Krajewska1, Shinichi Kitada, Jane N Winter
1Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Summary
Bcl-B, an anti-apoptotic protein, shows altered expression in various human cancers. Its expression correlates with prognosis, potentially defining distinct cancer subsets.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Apoptosis is crucial in cancer development.
- Bcl-B, an anti-apoptotic protein, interacts with Nur77/TR3.
- Bcl-B expression in human malignancies is largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Bcl-B protein expression in normal human tissues and various human malignancies.
- To correlate Bcl-B expression with tumor characteristics and patient survival.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to assess Bcl-B expression.
- Analysis included normal tissues, multiple myelomas, lymphomas, and epithelial cancers (breast, prostate, gastric, colorectal, lung).
- Results were correlated with tumor stage, grade, and patient survival data.
Main Results:
- Bcl-B is highly expressed in normal plasma cells but reduced in multiple myeloma.
- Tumor-specific overexpression of Bcl-B was observed in breast, prostate, gastric, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers.
- Bcl-B expression correlated with poor prognosis in breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancers, but with better outcomes in gastric cancer.
Conclusions:
- Alterations in Bcl-B expression are specific to tumors.
- These alterations may identify distinct subsets of epithelial and nonepithelial neoplasms.
- Bcl-B expression patterns could predict different clinical behaviors in cancers.
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