Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04637 (p53)
77,613 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Classification of gliomas according to their molecular characteristics may be important in future histopathological diagnosis. However, gliomas frequently display heterogeneity at the histological, biological and molecular level. In this study of archival diagnostic gliomas, precision microdissection was used to enrich samples in the most malignant cells or to investigate intratumoural histological heterogeneity. Analysis of tumour samples microdissected from the most aggressive regions, representative of the histopathological diagnosis, revealed PTEN mutations in 4/14 anaplastic astrocytomas, 4/13 glioblastomas and 1 gliosarcoma, but not in 19 low-grade gliomas. Using a novel PCR procedure and direct sequence analysis of the entire coding sequence, TP53 mutations were detected in 1/3 pilocytic astrocytomas, 3/13 astrocytomas, 4/14 anaplastic astrocytomas, 5/13 glioblastomas and 1 gliosarcoma. All but one of the tumours with TP53 mutation showed p53 immunopositivity, but 5 low-grade and 10 high-grade gliomas had p53 protein nuclear accumulation in the absence of detectable mutation. p53 status was unrelated to p21 expression. Neither PTEN nor TP53 mutations influenced the proliferative index or microvessel density of high-grade astrocytomas. Unusual findings include: TP53 mutation in a juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma; TP53 and PTEN mutations in a de novo glioblastoma, a gliosarcoma with identical mutations in gliomatous and sarcomatous components, and an infratentorial anaplastic astrocytoma with an earlier supratentorial grade II astrocytoma bearing the same TP53 mutation but not the PTEN mutation or loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of 10q23. Similarly, the transition to high-grade histology was associated with acquisition of PTEN mutations and 10q23.3 LOH in two de novo high-grade tumours with regions of low-grade histology.
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PMID:Characterisation of molecular alterations in microdissected archival gliomas. 1135 3

JC virus (JCV) is a neurotropic polyomavirus infecting greater than 70% of the human population worldwide during early childhood. Replication of JCV in brains of individuals with impaired immune systems results in the fatal demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Furthermore, JCV possesses an oncogenic potential and induces development of various neuroectodermal origin tumors including medulloblastomas and glioblastomas in experimental animals. The oncogenecity of JCV is attributed to the viral early gene product, T-antigen, which has the ability to associate with and functionally inactivate well-studied tumor suppressor proteins including p53 and pRB: The observations from laboratory animal experiments have provided a rationale for examining the presence of the JCV DNA sequence and expression of the viral oncogenic protein in human brain tumors. We have examined 85 clinical specimens from the United Kingdom, Greece, and the United States, representing various human brain tumors including oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, pilocytic astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma multiforme, gliomatosis cerebri, gliosarcoma, ependymoma, and subependymoma, for their possible association with JCV. We performed gene amplification techniques using a pair of primers that recognize the JCV DNA sequence, and we demonstrated the presence of the viral early sequence in 49 (69%) of 71 samples. More importantly, our results from immunohistochemistry analysis revealed expression of JCV T-antigen in the nuclei of tumor cells in 28 (32.9%) of 85 tested samples. These observations, along with earlier in vitro and in vivo data on the transforming ability of this human neurotropic virus invite additional studies to re-evaluate the role of JCV in the pathogenesis of human brain tumors.
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PMID:Detection of JC virus DNA sequences and expression of the viral regulatory protein T-antigen in tumors of the central nervous system. 1135 58

Loss of function of the p53 tumor suppressor gene due to mutation occurs early in astrocytoma tumorigenesis in about 30-40% of cases. This is believed to confer a growth advantage to the cells, allowing them to clonally expand due to loss of the p53-controlled G1 checkpoint and apoptosis. Genetic instability due to the impaired ability of p53 to mediate DNA damage repair further facilitates the acquisition of new genetic abnormalities, leading to malignant progression of an astrocytoma into anaplastic astrocytoma. This is reflected by a high rate of p53 mutation (60-70%) in anaplastic astrocytomas. The cell cycle control gets further compromised in astrocytoma by alterations in one of the G1/S transition control genes, either loss of the p16/CDKN2 or RB genes or amplification of the cyclin D gene. The final progression process leading to glioblastoma multiforme seems to need additional genetic abnormalities in the long arm of chromosome 10; one of which is deletion and/or functional loss of the PTEN/MMAC1 gene. Glioblastomas also occur as primary (de novo) lesions in patients of older age, without p53 gene loss but with amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes. In contrast to the secondary glioblastomas that evolve from astrocytoma cells with p53 mutations in younger patients, primary glioblastomas seem to be resistant to radiation therapy and thus show a poorer prognosis. The evaluation and design of therapeutic modalities aimed at preventing malignant progression of astrocytomas and glioblastomas should now be based on stratifying patients with astrocytic tumors according to their genetic diagnosis.
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PMID:Roles of the functional loss of p53 and other genes in astrocytoma tumorigenesis and progression. 1155 Mar 8

Human malignant gliomas are thought to develop as the result of stepwise accumulations of multiple genetic alterations. Recently, we showed that E6/E7-mediated inactivation of p53/pRb, ras pathway activation (initiated by expression of mutant H-Ras), and expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in combination converted normal human astrocytes into cells that formed intracranial tumors resembling human anaplastic astrocytoma (AA). In this study, we created human astrocytes that, in addition to expressing E6/E7, hTERT, and Ras, also expressed a constitutive activated form of Akt intended to mimic the Akt activation noted in grade IV glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Although these cells grew no differently than astrocytes expressing E6, E7, and H-Ras in vitro or in the first 28 days following s.c. implantation, they ultimately formed tumors four to six times larger than those formed by the E6/E7/hTERT/Ras cells. Unlike the poorly vascularized, necrosis-free AA formed by E6/E7/hTERT/Ras cells, the tumors formed by s.c. or intracranial injection of Akt-expressing cells had large areas of necrosis surrounded by neovascularization and were consistent in appearance with grade IV human GBM. These results show that activation of the Akt pathway is sufficient to allow conversion of human AA to human GBM.
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PMID:Akt pathway activation converts anaplastic astrocytoma to glioblastoma multiforme in a human astrocyte model of glioma. 1155 33

Malignant astrocytoma is one of the most deadly primary central nervous system tumors. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular pathways that lead to the development of these tumors in adults, comparatively little analysis has been done in childhood astrocytomas, which are less common and have a more favorable prognosis. Our previous studies of an institutional cohort of children with malignant gliomas suggested the existence of distinct molecular pathways of tumorigenesis in younger versus older children, based on the finding of a high frequency of TP53 mutations in tumors from children >3 years of age at diagnosis, compared with those from younger children. In the current study, the association between TP53 mutations and age was examined in greater detail using the multi-institutional group of children enrolled in Children's Cancer Group Study 945, the largest cohort of childhood high-grade gliomas analyzed to date. Seventy-seven tumors with centrally reviewed diagnoses of anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme had sufficient archival histopathological material for microdissection-based genotyping. Sections were examined histologically, and topographic targets that contained malignant tissue were isolated by microdissection and subjected to PCR-based amplification and sequencing of TP53 exons 5-8. Twenty-six tumors (33.8%) had mutations in those exons. Mutations were observed in 2 of 17 tumors (11.8%) from children <3 years of age at diagnosis versus 24 of 60 tumors (40%) from older children, a difference that was statistically significant (P = 0.04), in agreement with our previous results. Whereas malignant gliomas in older children have a frequency of mutations comparable to tumors that arise in young adults, those from children <3 years old do not. The association between age and frequency of TP53 mutations among pediatric malignant gliomas indicates the probable existence of two distinct pathways of molecular tumorigenesis in younger versus older children.
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PMID:Age and TP53 mutation frequency in childhood malignant gliomas: results in a multi-institutional cohort. 1160 70

Gemistocytic astrocytoma is characterized by a predominance of large astrocytes with plump processes and massive accumulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (gemistocytes). This histological variant of low-grade diffuse astrocytoma (WHO grade II) is prone to more rapid progression to anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma than the ordinary fibrillary astrocytoma. The biological basis of this unfavorable prognosis is unclear, since gemistocytes themselves have low proliferative activity, even if present in anaplastic astrocytomas or glioblastomas. This has raised the question of whether gemistocytes are neoplastic cells or dysplastic reactive astrocytes. In this study, gemistocytes and non-gemistocytic neoplastic cells were separated by laser-assisted microdissection from six gemistocytic astrocytomas carrying TP53 mutations. In all cases, identical TP53 mutations were identified in both cell types, indicating that gemistocytes are indeed neoplastic cells. Their lack of proliferative activity may indicate terminal differentiation.
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PMID:Genetic evidence of the neoplastic nature of gemistocytes in astrocytomas. 1169 53

Among the entire spectrum of astrocytic neoplasms, just anaplastic astrocytoma (or grade III astrocytoma) appears to be a more enigmatic tumor entity with vague criteria for pathological diagnosis, unclear biological behavior and diverse clinical outcome. Attempts have been made to identify biological markers that would be useful in prediction of prognosis of anaplastic astrocytomas but the results obtained are controversial. In the present study, survival data on 63 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma were studied to evaluate a possible association between clinical outcome and expression of some immunohistochemical variables. Both the progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival times were significantly reduced for patients older than 45 years, for anaplastic astrocytomas containing multiple mitoses, for Ki-67 LI > 5%, for cyclin A LI > 4% and for PTEN-negative tumors. We found no differences in survival times in patients with or without p53 immunoreactivity and also in cases with different values of p16 and p27 immunostaining. Multivariate analysis revealed that risk of tumor progression and death is independently associated with tumors containing multiple mitoses and for PTEN-negative tumors. According to the data from the CART modeling, tumors were subdivided based on the three following subsets: (1) Anaplastic astrocytomas with solitary mitosis. (2) Anaplastic astrocytomas with multiple mitoses and PTEN positivity. (3) Anaplastic astrocytomas with multiple mitoses and PTEN negativity. Thus, the results obtained reveal the advantage of combined approach including evaluation of routine histological parameters and immunohistochemical variables for further clinical subdivision of anaplastic astrocytomas.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical markers for prognosis of anaplastic astrocytomas. 1218 56

Gliomatosis cerebri is a rare, diffusely growing neuroepithelial tumor characterized by extensive brain infiltration involving more than two cerebral lobes. Among 13 patients with gliomatosis cerebri (median age, 46 years), biopsies showed features of diffuse astrocytoma (n = 4), oligoastrocytoma (n = 1), anaplastic astrocytoma (n = 5), anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (n = 1), or glioblastoma (n = 2). Molecular genetic investigation showed TP53 mutations in three of seven tumors and both PTEN mutation and epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression in one tumor. Amplification of CDK4 or MDM2 or homozygous deletion of CDKN2A was not detected. Three of 10 patients receiving radiotherapy showed a partial response (one patient) or had stable disease (two patients) lasting for more than 1 year. Four of six patients treated with procarbazine, carmustine, vincristine chemotherapy demonstrated partial remission (one patient), minor response (two patients), or stable disease (one patient). Median survival time from diagnosis was 14 months (range, 4-91+ months). Infratentorial involvement was associated with shorter survival. We conclude that (1) the molecular genetic alterations in gliomatosis cerebri resemble those in diffuse astrocytomas; (2) the prognosis of gliomatosis cerebri is variable but for at least 50% of patients as poor as for glioblastoma; and (3) some patients respond to radiotherapy and/or procarbazine, carmustine, vincristine chemotherapy.
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PMID:Gliomatosis cerebri: molecular pathology and clinical course. 1232 66

Recurrence and progression to higher grade lesions are characteristic of the clinical course of astrocytic tumours. Though p53 gene mutation is an important initiating event in astrocytic tumourigenesis, its role in malignant progression remains controversial. We have therefore analysed p53 protein expression in paired histological samples from 48 cases of astrocytic tumours and their recurrences--29 diffuse astrocytoma, 10 anaplastic astrocytoma and 14 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Malignant progression at recurrence was noted in 93% of diffuse and 64% of anaplastic astrocytomas. An association was observed of p53 protein immunopositivity and malignant progression at recurrence. Thus, 27 of 48 (56%) primary tumours were initially p53 positive, while in recurrent tumours associated with malignant progression this frequency increased to 71% (34/48 cases). This was because seven of the 13 cases (4/8 diffuse and 3/5 anaplastic astrocytoma) that were initially p53 negative acquired immunopositivity on malignant progression at recurrence. In contrast, none of the 19 tumours that recurred to the same grade showed any change of p53 status at recurrence. Furthermore recurrence was associated with increase in the percentage of p53 immunopositive cells (p53 labelling index), which was also higher in tumours with progression. This new acquisition of p53 immunopositivity on progression at recurrence has not been documented in earlier studies in English language literature, though increase in p53 LI has been documented. Thus, this study conclusively indicates the role of p53 in malignant progression of astrocytic tumours. Also, it suggests a potential role of p53 LI in predicting malignant progression at recurrence because the highest initial LI was noted in those tumours which progressed to GBM as compared with those which recurred to the same grade or progressed to anaplastic astrocytoma. No correlation could, however, be demonstrated between p53 immunoreactivity and interval to recurrence.
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PMID:Recurrent astrocytic tumours--a study of p53 immunoreactivity and malignant progression. 1238 85

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the central nervous system (CNS) and the most common malignant primary brain tumor in children. Currently, poor risk and recurrent MB patients are treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy alone or in combination with surgery and irradiation. In order to improve on therapeutic outcome and reduce toxicity of current treatment strategies, new and novel therapeutic agents are needed for MB patients. To that purpose, we have examined the effect of 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), an endogenous non-toxic estrogenic metabolite on the growth of three medulloblastoma cell lines (DAOY, D341 and D283); and two high-grade anaplastic astrocytoma/glioblastoma cell lines, U-87MG and T-98-G. We present evidence to show that 2-ME preferentially inhibits the growth of medulloblastoma cells significantly by blocking cell cycle progression predominantly in G(2)/M phase. 2-ME treatment results in phosphorylation of cdc25C without any significant alterations in the expression of cyclin B1 or p34cdc2. In addition, we observed a decrease in the levels of 14-3-3 proteins following treatment with 2-ME. Furthermore, 2-ME-mediated growth inhibition is accompanied by induction of apoptosis as evidenced by morphological alterations and DNA fragmentation analysis. Of interest is the finding that 2-ME induced apoptosis is not mediated through alterations in the expression of p53 or Bax and that transcriptional activity of NF kappa B and DNA binding activity is reduced indicating that 2-ME disrupts the NF kappa B signaling pathway. These results suggest that 2-ME may prove to be a useful therapeutic agent in the treatment of PNET brain tumors such as medulloblastoma. In addition, as 2-ME inhibits growth predominantly through G(2)/M block, it may enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy.
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PMID:2-Methoxyestradiol interferes with NF kappa B transcriptional activity in primitive neuroectodermal brain tumors: implications for management. 1258 69


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