Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
A Portal Vein Injection Model to Study Liver Metastasis of Breast Cancer
Published on: December 26, 2016
Expression of farnesyltransferase in primary liver cancer
Guo-de Sui1, Guang-Yong Zhang, Zhao-Jian Niu
1Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Background:
Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common malignant tumor. Over the past decade, although farnesyltransferase (FTase) has emerged as a significant target for anticancer therapies and has become a hotspot of cancer research, its exact mechanism of action remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of FTase in PLC and its role in the development of PLC.
Methods:
Expression of FTase was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) in cancer and surrounding normal tissues from 32 patients with PLC.
Results:
Expression of FTase mRNA in PLC was significantly higher than that in normal hepatic tissues (P < 0.001). Overexpression of FTase was as high as 87.5%. The positive rate for FTase mRNA in the high tendency to metastatic recurrence group was obviously higher than that in the low tendency to metastatic recurrence group (P = 0.02). The positive rate for FTase mRNA in patients with metastatic recurrence during postoperative follow-up was also significantly higher than that in those without metastatic recurrence (P = 0.01).
Conclusions:
The level of FTase mRNA expression in cancer tissues is much higher than in normal tissues. FTase may play an important role in the genesis and development of PLC and may be one of the reliable markers for the metastatic activity gained by liver tumor cells. FTase could be used clinically in predicting metastatic recurrence of PLC.
Insights
Farnesyltransferase (FTase) is overexpressed in primary liver cancer (PLC) and may drive tumor development. Elevated FTase mRNA levels correlate with increased metastatic recurrence, suggesting its potential as a clinical marker for liver cancer progression.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a prevalent malignancy.
- Farnesyltransferase (FTase) is a key target in cancer therapy, but its role in PLC is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate FTase expression in PLC tissues.
- To determine the role of FTase in PLC development and metastasis.
Main Methods:
- Real-time fluorescent quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) was used.
- Detected FTase mRNA expression in cancer and adjacent normal tissues from 32 PLC patients.
Main Results:
- FTase mRNA levels were significantly higher in PLC tissues compared to normal tissues (P < 0.001).
- Overexpression of FTase was observed in 87.5% of PLC cases.
- Higher FTase mRNA positivity was linked to increased metastatic recurrence risk (P = 0.02) and actual recurrence (P = 0.01).
Conclusions:
- FTase mRNA is significantly upregulated in PLC.
- FTase likely contributes to PLC genesis and progression.
- FTase may serve as a reliable biomarker for predicting liver tumor cell metastatic activity and clinical recurrence.
