Refining the prognosis of endocrine-related cancers
The cloning of ERâ in the late 90s and the advent of ER subtype-selective ligands allowed researchers of the Molecular Endocrinology Programme of IBRB to modify the classical ligand binding assay in order to allow one to measure the level of ERâ as well as that of ERá in the cytosol of endocrine tumours. Assessment of ERá and ERâ levels in 40 uterine hyperplasias using this approach was recently completed at the request of the Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Aretaieion Hospital. However, given that ERâ is not an established tumor marker, effort is currently put into servicing clinical research on ERâ as prognostic and predictive tumor marker. To this end, the Molecular Endocrinology Programme of IBRB has developed site-directed antibodies capable of distinguishing between ERâ1 and ERâ2 expression in paraffin-embedded archival breast tumors [1]. The Programme is currently collaborating with the Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Athens and Eugenidion Hospital in studying the prognostic significance of ERâ in breast tumors, and with the Department of Pathology of Evangelismos Hospital in studying the prognostic significance of ERâ in prostate tumors (these services are supervised by the Molecular Endocrinology Programme of IBRB).
[1] Patent application No 20050100424/11-08-2005/O.B.I.: 'Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to glucococorticoid and estrogen receptors as immunodiagnostics for cancer prognosis ' - Alexis MN, Dimolea E, Florentin I, Pechtelidou A and Sekeris CE.
