A Comprehensive Tissue Microarray-Based FISH Screen of ALK Gene in Neuroblastomas

The heterogeneity of neuroblastic tumors added to the immense biological complexity has led to an unprecedented scale of investigations and a growing list of molecular genetic targets for prognosis as well as therapy. Recently, Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) has been identified as a major predisposing gene as well as a potential therapeutic target for neuroblastoma. Individuals with ALK-related neuroblastoma susceptibility (i.e., heterozygous for an ALK mutation) are at risk of developing neuroblastic tumors. Aberrant copy number or mutations in ALK gene and overexpression of its protein tyrosine-kinase receptor have been related to poor prognosis of this disease, although a great degree …

PINK1 displays tissue-specific subcellular location and regulates apoptosis and cell growth in breast cancer cells.

The PINK1 gene is mutated in the germ line of patients with hereditary early-onset Parkinson disease, and PINK1 prosurvival function at neuronal mitochondria has been related with the etiology of this disease. However, the expression and function of PINK1 protein in nonneuronal tissues has not been determined yet. Here, we have analyzed PINK1 protein expression and subcellular distribution in normal and neoplastic human tissues and investigated the function of PINK1 in breast carcinoma cells. PINK1 protein, as stained by a specific anti-PINK1 monoclonal antibody, was widely expressed in human tissues, displaying high expression in epithelial tissues and in the central nervous system and low…

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase expression in neuroblastomas and its relationship with genetic, prognostic, and predictive factors