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Brain tumor gene target found
Laminin-8 genes and their resulting protein may be effective targets in fighting malignant brain tumors, an international research team has found.
Researchers led by the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute found over-expression of laminin-8 can predict a tumor´s grade, recurrence and the patient´s survival chances.
The thin membrane under the surface of blood vessels contains proteins called laminins. Researchers found during tumor progression, laminin-9, which is weakly expressed in normal brain tissue and low-grade tumors, switched to laminin-8, whose expression increased significantly with progression.
Researchers analyzed normal brain tissue and brain tumor tissue and found higher laminin-8 levels in more advanced tumors, which related to faster tumor recurrence after tumor-removal surgery and shorter patient survival times.
Los Angeles, CA, 2004 Jun. 22 (UPI)