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Spot 14, also known as thyroid
hormone-responsive Spot 14 (THRSP) or S14, is a primarily nuclear
protein that is abundant in tissues active in long chain fatty acid
synthesis, including the lactating mammary gland. It has been shown that the
S14 gene is located on chromosome 11q13 and is overexpressed in most breast
cancers.
Dartmouth researchers have now found that S14
is a marker for aggressive breast cancers. High-level S14 expression exhibits
a strong positive correlation with tumor grade in both in situ and invasive cases, and is also associated with larger
tumor size. Further, S14 overexpression is not acquired during tumor
progression and the S14 score does not co-segregate with that of the
conventional tumor markers (sex steroid receptors, Her2/neu) or cyclin D1.
Most importantly, the S14 expression score of the primary tumor showed a
striking association with recurrence over prolonged follow-up. In addition, S14 expression has now been
shown to be required for the growth and survival of breast cancer cells, as
inhibiting the expression of S14 induces apoptosis. Accordingly, in addition
to being useful as a prognostic marker, S14 is also useful as a target for
therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
This technology is claimed in
a pending patent application. We are seeking an industrial partner interested
in its commercialization.
(Ref: J307)
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