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Published on: August 19, 2025
Identification of proteins with increased levels in ameloblastic carcinoma
Alejandro García-Muñoz1, Ronell Bologna-Molina2, Beatriz Aldape-Barrios3
1Assistant Professor, Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F., México; and Departamento de Investigación, Escuela de Odontología, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, México.
Purpose:
The comparative proteomic approach by a combination of 2-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is an attractive strategy for the discovery of cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The identification of protein biomarkers associated with ameloblastic carcinoma (AC), a malignant epithelial odontogenic tumor, will potentially improve the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy for this malignant neoplasm. The aim of the present study was to identify highly expressed proteins in AC that could be considered as potential biomarkers.
Materials And Methods:
The protein profile of an AC was compared with the protein profiles of 3 cases of benign ameloblastoma. Proteins that showed increased levels in AC were identified using MS, and the augmented amount of some of these proteins in the malignant lesion was confirmed by Western blot or immunohistochemistry.
Results:
We detected a total of 782 spots in the protein profile of AC, and 19 of them, showing elevated levels compared with benign ameloblastoma, were identified using MS. These proteins have been implicated in several cellular functions, such as cell structure, metabolism, stress response, and signal transduction.
Conclusions:
The increased expression of the identified proteins and the minor expression of some proteins that might inhibit tumor progression could be involved in the evolution from a benign lesion to carcinoma.
