Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay
Published on: October 27, 2014
Bone morphogenetic protein-7 expression is down-regulated in human clear cell renal carcinoma
Nikolina Basic-Jukic1, Tvrtko Hudolin, Margareta Radic-Antolic
1Department of Dialysis, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. nina_basic@net.hr
Background:
Recent studies demonstrated that the expression pattern of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) is altered in different tumors. We determined expression of BMP-7 in human clear cell renal carcinoma (CCRC).
Methods:
Samples from cancer and corresponding healthy tissue were obtained from 20 patients who underwent nephrectomy for CCRC. Expression of BMP-7 mRNA was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
RT-PCR showed strong down-regulation of BMP-7 mRNA in cancer tissue. Immunohistochemistry revealed expression of BMP-7 in normal renal tissue, with almost complete loss of BMP-7 expression in malignant cells of 6 patients (30%). After 3 years of follow-up, 5 out of 6 patients with high BMP-7 mRNA expression were alive and disease-free, compared with 9 out of 14 patients with low BMP-7 mRNA expression.
Conclusions:
BMP-7 mRNA and protein expression were down-regulated in CCRC. Further prospective studies are needed to characterize the role of BMP-7 in human CCRC.
Related Concept Videos
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive EGFR activation may...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
Abnormal Proliferation
Negative Regulator Molecules
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
