Research projects
2. Enhanced Expression of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 IIIc Promotes Human Esophageal Cancer Malignant Progression.
More than 90% of esophagus cancer is
squamous cell carcinoma.
The esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an invasive and
progressive cancer. The percentage of patients in which there is lymph
node metastasis of ESCC is more than 30% that is quite high compared
with other digestive tract cancers, for example 11.9% in gastric cancer
and 10 % in sigmoid colon cancer. The ESCC is well known to show poor
prognosis, and 5-year overall survival remains approximately 20%
despite the use of multimodal treatments such as extensive surgery.
The expression of FGFR isoforms is temporally and spatially
regulated
in embryos and in normal adult organs. Alternative splicing of the FGFR
gene has been implicated in carcinogenesis. Switch expression of FGFR
to mesenchymal isoforms, enabling cells to receive signals usually
restricted to the connective tissue. FGFR3 has two different
transmembrane-type isoforms, FGFR3 IIIb and IIIc, which are produced by
alternative splicing and have distinctive ligand-specificities. In
normal tissues, IIIb isoform is mainly expressed in the epithelium,
whereas IIIc isoform is mainly expressed in the mesenchyme.
Previously, we have found the expression of FGFR3 IIIc isoforms in 86 %
of the ESCC specimens tested by RT-PCR was enhanced. Thus, it suggests
that enhanced expression of FGFR3 IIIc isoform may promote the
malignant progression of ESCC. The aim of our study is to elucidate the
mechanism of promoting malignant progression by enhanced expression of
FGFR3 IIIc isoform.
Contact:
Misuzu (Kurokawa) Seo, PhD Professor
〒603-8555
Kamigamo, Motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto city
Tel: 81-75-705-1488
E-mail: mseo@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp