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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers
12:22

The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers

Published on: January 22, 2013

Exploring the pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma: pathway and bioinformatics analysis of dysregulated genes and

Alexander D Romaschin1, Youssef Youssef, Tsz-fung F Chow

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine and the Keenan Research Center in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5B 1W8, Canada.

Biological Chemistry
|December 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified dysregulated proteins in kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma, RCC). Pathway analysis revealed novel therapeutic targets and prognostic markers, with potential clinical applications in kidney cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a complex disease with poorly understood molecular mechanisms.
  • Identifying key proteins and pathways involved in RCC progression is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To perform bioinformatics and pathway analysis on proteins dysregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  • To identify novel biological pathways and potential therapeutic targets for RCC.
  • To explore the clinical applications of pathway analysis in kidney cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatics and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of dysregulated proteins in RCC.
  • Pathway enrichment analysis to identify significantly altered signaling routes.
  • Comparison with published datasets and literature search for gene validation.
  • Immunohistochemistry to confirm the upregulation of specific pathways, such as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway.

Main Results:

  • Upregulated proteins in RCC are associated with cancer initiation and progression.
  • Identified both common cancer pathways and novel pathways not previously linked to RCC.
  • Significant overlap in identified pathways when compared to external datasets.
  • Validated the upregulation of the mTOR signaling pathway in RCC.

Conclusions:

  • Pathway analysis provides valuable insights into RCC pathogenesis.
  • Identified pathways represent potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for kidney cancer.
  • Highlights the clinical utility of pathway analysis in advancing kidney cancer research and treatment.

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