Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026

In Vivo and Ex Vivo Approaches to Study Ovarian Cancer Metastatic Colonization of Milky Spot Structures in Peritoneal Adipose
Published on: October 14, 2015
Aurora A is a prognostic marker for breast cancer arising in BRCA2 mutation carriers
Margret Aradottir1, Sigridur T Reynisdottir1, Olafur A Stefansson1
1Cancer Research Laboratory, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland Reykjavik Iceland.
Abstract:
Overexpression of the Aurora A kinase has been shown to have prognostic value in breast cancer. Previously, we showed a significant association between AURKA gene amplification and BRCA2 mutation in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic impact of Aurora A overexpression on breast cancer arising in BRCA2 mutation carriers. Aurora A expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on breast tumour tissue microarrays from 107 BRCA2 999del5 mutation carriers and 284 of sporadic origin. Prognostic value of Aurora A nuclear staining was estimated in relation to clinical markers and adjuvant treatment, using multivariate Cox's proportional hazards ratio regression model. BRCA2 wild-type allele loss was measured by TaqMan in BRCA2 mutated tumour samples. All statistical tests were two sided. Multivariate analysis of breast cancer-specific survival, including proliferative markers and treatment, indicated independent prognostic value of Aurora A nuclear staining for BRCA2 mutation carriers (hazards ratio = 7.06; 95% confidence interval = 1.23-40.6; p = 0.028). Poor breast cancer-specific survival of BRCA2 mutation carriers was found to be significantly associated with combined Aurora A nuclear expression and BRCA2 wild type allele loss in tumours (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated independent prognostic value of both positive Aurora A nuclear staining (hazards ratio = 10.09; 95% confidence interval = 1.19-85.4, p = 0.034) and BRCA2 wild type allele loss (hazards ratio = 9.63; 95% confidence interval = 1.81-51.0, p = 0.008) for BRCA2 mutation carriers. Aurora A nuclear expression was found to be a significant prognostic marker for BRCA2 mutation carriers, independent of clinical parameters and adjuvant treatment. Our conclusion is that treatment benefits for BRCA2 mutation carriers and sporadic breast cancer patients with Aurora A positive tumours may be enhanced by giving attention to Aurora A targeted treatment.
More Related Videos
08:15gDNA Enrichment by a Transposase-based Technology for NGS Analysis of the Whole Sequence of BRCA1, BRCA2, and 9 Genes Involved in DNA Damage Repair
Published on: October 6, 2014
09:24Silencing of BRCA2 to Identify Novel BRCA2-regulated Biological Functions in Cultured Human Cells
Published on: August 12, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Cancer-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...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...