Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice
Published on: August 23, 2019
Evidences that the polymorphism Pro-282-Ala within the tumor suppressor gene WWOX is a new risk factor for
Lisa Cancemi1, Cristina Romei, Sara Bertocchi
1Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Abstract:
We report a hypothesis-driven study aimed to detect genetic markers of susceptibility to differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC). A large number of candidate genes were first selected through literature search (genome-wide studies were also included). To restrict the analysis to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a high likelihood to be associated with increased risk, each SNP must comply with several a priori hypotheses. Only one SNP, the rs3764340 encoding for the aminoacidic substitution proline-to-alanine at codon 282 of the tumor suppressor gene WWOX, passed the selection. A case-control association study was carried out, involving a total of 1,741 cases and 1,042 controls. The logistic regression analysis revealed an increased risk of DTC for the carriers of the G-allele (crude odds ratio, OR = 1.53; 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.18-1.99; p = 1.38 × 10(-3) ). When we controlled for covariates, the adjusted OR was 1.48 with a 95% CI of 1.08-2.03 (p = 8.0 × 10(-3) ). The association was confirmed after stratification for histology (for papillary thyroid carcinoma the adjusted OR was 1.43; 95% CI 1.02-2.00; p = 0.037), incident cases and smokers, but was also at the limit of statistical significance in all the other categories considered. In silico analyses showed that when alanine substitutes proline, subtle changes of the proteic structure can be predicted. These findings together with other observations from literature on human cancers and the fact that the proline at codon 282 is extremely conserved in phylogenetically distant organisms (including Drosophila) suggest that the variant allele-282 could affect the biological function of WWOX, thereby predisposing individuals to thyroid cancer.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
01:05Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
01:05Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
01:33Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...