Breast Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breast Cancer, including details on symptoms, genetics, screening, treatment, information.

Emerging role of RAB GTPases in cancer and human disease.

Cheng KW, Lahad JP, Gray JW, Mills GB

Department of Molecular Therapeutics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA. kwcheng@mdanderson.org

Emerging evidence implicates alterations in the RAB small GTPases and their associated regulatory proteins and effectors in multiple human diseases including cancer. We have recently shown that RAB25, located at chromosome 1q22, is amplified at the DNA level and overexpressed at the RNA level in ovarian and breast cancer. These changes correlated with a worsened outcome in both diseases. In addition, enforced expression of RAB25 in both breast and ovarian cancer cells decreased apoptosis and increased proliferation and aggressiveness in vivo, potentially explaining the worsened prognosis. A better understanding of genetic alterations as well as the physiologic and pathophysiologic roles of RAB GTPases may open new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and better outcomes.

Published 4 April 2005 in Cancer Res, 65(7): 2516-9.
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