Expression of a fibroblast growth factor-binding protein during the development of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and colon

Elena Tassi, Ralf T. Henke, Emma T. Bowden, Matthew R. Swift, David P. Kodack, Angera H. Kuo, Anirban Maitra, Anton Wellstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

The activity of growth factors is crucial for tumor progression. We previously characterized a secreted fibroblast growth factor-binding protein (FGF-BP1) as a chaperone molecule, which enhances the biological functions of FGFs by releasing FGFs from the extracellular matrix. Here, we characterize the frequency and pattern of FGF-BP1 expression during the malignant progression of pancreas and colorectal carcinoma. For this, we generated monoclonal antibodies that detect FGF-BP1 protein in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues and applied in situ hybridization to detect FGF-BP1 mRNA in adjacent tissue sections. FGF-BP1 protein and mRNA were found up-regulated (>70% positive) in parallel (r = 0.70, P <0.0001) in colon adenoma (n = 9) as well as primary (n = 46) and metastatic (n = 71) colorectal cancers relative to normal colon epithelia (all P <0.0001, versus normal). Similarly, pancreatitis (n = 17), pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 80), and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 67) showed a significant up-regulation of FGF-BP1 compared with normal pancreas (n = 42; all P <0.0001, relative to normal). Furthermore, the biological activity of FGF-BP1 is neutralized by one of the antibodies, suggesting the potential for antibody-based therapeutic targeting. We propose that the up-regulation of the secreted FGF-BP1 protein during initiation of pancreas and colon neoplasia could make this protein a possible serum marker indicating the presence of high-risk premalignant lesions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1191-1198
Number of pages8
JournalCancer Research
Volume66
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 15 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cancer Research
  • Oncology

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