Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts
Published on: July 25, 2020
CRBP-1 expression in ovarian cancer: a potential therapeutic target
Elena Doldo1, Gaetana Costanza1, Amedeo Ferlosio1
1Anatomic Pathology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Background/Aim:
Cellular retinol binding protein-1 regulates retinol bioavailability and contributes to cell differentiation maintenance, but its role in ovarian carcinogenesis remains uncertain. We investigated CRBP-1 expression in ovarian tumors and CRBP-1 signaling-regulated pathways.
Materials And Methods:
We performed immunohistochemistry, methylation-specific PCR, gene copy number analysis in ovarian tumors and proliferation/apoptosis evaluation, gene array, blot and real-time PCR in CRBP-1-transfected A2780 ovarian cancer cells.
Results:
CRBP-1 expression was reduced or absent in G2 and G3 ovarian carcinomas. CRBP-1 silencing in 60% of G2 and 66.7% of G3 carcinomas was due to CRBP-1 promoter methylation. A2780 CRBP-1-transfected cells showed increased retinol-induced apoptosis, retinoid-induced reduced clonogenicity and down-regulation of proliferation and transcription genes, including AKT1, AKT3, EGFR, FOS, JUN, STAT1 and STAT5A.
Conclusion:
CRBP-1 loss in G2/G3 ovarian carcinomas and increased apoptotic susceptibility to retinoids in CRBP-1-transfected-A2780 cells suggest CRBP-1 screening as a target to ensure efficacy of an adjuvant retinoid therapy.
Related Concept Videos
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
01:20The 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,...
02:23Abnormal Proliferation