・It was possible to comprehensively extract causal relationships between abnormalities in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, and glycan expression.

・Stepwise changes in glycan expression accompanying the progression of glioma are potential biomarker candidates that reflect the malignancy grade.

This research reports on an approach that performs comprehensive expression analysis of glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids, using unique model cells that mimic WHO grade I-IV malignant glioma. Cells were created based on the multistep theory of tumorigenesis³ in order to comprehensively follow the changes in glycan expression that accommodate the progression of glioma. Multiple dynamic changes in glycan expression were detected during cancer progression accompanying stepwise mutations of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Interesting to note, is that many changes are transient. This suggests that the stepwise changes in glycan expression that accompany tumor transformation could be useful in determining early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment effectiveness.
This research was supported by a grant-in-aid from the Creation of Innovation Centers for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Areas Program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.

Notes:

1) Glycan: A substance in which sugars are connected as in a chain. Glycans often combine with proteins and lipids, and are expressed on the cell surface.

2) WHO grade I-IV malignant glioma: A tumor that originates in glial cells within the brain. Brain tumors are described by grades that show a “malignancy grade”, rather than by stages that express progression as in cancer of other organs. WHO (the World Health Organization) classifies the malignancy grades of brain tumors from Grade I, which is low malignancy, through Grade IV, the highest.

3) Multistep theory of tumorigenesis: The idea that cancers, including gene mutations, progressively become cancerous.

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