NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mutations of PIK3CA may be involved in inactivation of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene and such mutants have been found in a variety of brain tumors, researchers report in the August 1st issue of Cancer Research.
“Our work,” senior investigator Dr. Hai Yan told Reuters Health, “implicates PIK3CA as an oncogene in a wide spectrum of adult and pediatric brain tumors and suggests that PIK3CA may be a useful diagnostic marker or a therapeutic target in these cancers.”
Dr. Yan of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina and colleagues note that mutations of PIK3CA have been seen in more than 25% of colorectal, gastric and certain other cancers.
To investigate further, the team performed PIK3CA mutational analysis on a number of brain tumor samples.
They identified 13 mutations within the helical and catalytic domains surveyed. Examples of the mutations were seen in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas, glioblastoma multiforme and medulloblastomas. None were identified in ependymomas or low-grade astrocytomas.
Given these findings and “based on patient genetic information,” Dr. Yan said, “drugs could be developed to target just the right molecular pathway and potentially be more effective with fewer side effects.”
This approach, the investigators conclude, “has the potential to make a significant impact on the future of cancer therapeutics.”
Source: Cancer Res 2004;64:5048-5050. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Brain Neoplasms: Neoplasms: Neoplasms by Site: Nervous System Diseases: Nervous System Neoplasms: Central Nervous System Neoplasms: DiseasesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
