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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

A Next-generation Tissue Microarray (ngTMA) Protocol for Biomarker Studies
09:32

A Next-generation Tissue Microarray (ngTMA) Protocol for Biomarker Studies

Published on: September 23, 2014

Expression of Thymidylate Synthase in Cancer: A Tissue Microarray Study Involving 17,371 Cancers from 136 Tumor

Florian Lutz1, Lisa Sophie Hannemann1, Seyma Büyücek1

  • 1Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.

Biomedicines
|July 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) is frequently overexpressed in many cancer types, often correlating with aggressive tumor features. This widespread expression highlights its potential as a therapeutic target across diverse malignancies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Pathology
  • Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

  • Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) is a critical enzyme in DNA synthesis and a recognized therapeutic target.
  • Understanding TYMS expression patterns across various cancers is essential for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively analyze the expression of TYMS across a wide spectrum of human tumors.
  • To investigate the correlation between TYMS expression levels and clinicopathological parameters in different cancer types.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess TYMS expression.
  • Analysis was performed on a large-scale tissue microarray comprising 17,371 samples from 136 distinct tumor types.
  • Statistical analysis was used to correlate TYMS expression with histopathological features.

Main Results:

  • TYMS staining was detected in 42.9% of 15,361 analyzable tumors, with varying intensity.
  • High TYMS expression was frequently observed in lymphomas, sarcomas, malignant melanoma, cervical adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinomas.
  • Significant associations were found between high TYMS expression and adverse prognostic factors such as advanced tumor stage, high grade, and metastasis in multiple cancer types, including breast, renal cell carcinoma, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

Conclusions:

  • TYMS is frequently overexpressed across a broad range of cancer entities.
  • TYMS overexpression is often linked to aggressive histopathological features, underscoring its role in tumor progression.
  • These findings support TYMS as a relevant therapeutic target in oncology, with potential implications for various cancers.
Keywords:
TYMSimmunohistochemistrymultitumor analysisthymidylate synthasetissue microarraytumor phenotype

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