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Quantitative PCR-based Assay to Measure Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Cellular Model of Ciliogenesis
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Sonic hedgehog pathway expression in non-small cell lung cancer
Malvi Savani1, Yan Guo, David P Carbone
1Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology
|September 4, 2012
Summary
Sonic hedgehog pathway molecules show minimal overexpression in non-small cell lung cancer. This pathway expression did not correlate with patient survival outcomes in the study.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Signaling Pathways
Background:
- The hedgehog pathway is vital in embryonic development and implicated in cancer.
- Understanding Sonic hedgehog pathway molecule expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is crucial for potential therapeutic targets.
- Previous research suggests a link between hedgehog pathway activation and carcinogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression levels of Sonic hedgehog pathway molecules in NSCLC.
- To determine if Sonic hedgehog pathway expression correlates with clinical outcomes in NSCLC patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 81 NSCLC tissue samples from 42 patients using tissue microarrays.
- Immunohistochemical staining for Sonic hedgehog, Ptch-1, Smoothened, and Gli-1.
- Evaluation of protein expression without laser microdissection.
Main Results:
- Most NSCLC samples exhibited negative to weak expression of Sonic hedgehog pathway proteins.
- Ptch-1 expression was 100% negative in tumor samples.
- Pathway protein expression was generally lower in tumors compared to normal lung epithelial cells.
Conclusions:
- Minimal overexpression of Sonic hedgehog pathway molecules was observed in NSCLC.
- Pathway molecule expression did not correlate with overall patient survival.
- Limited sample size may have impacted the ability to detect correlations.
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