Evaluation of CBFA2T2 gene expression in samples of human tumors from the central nervous system by real-time PCR

Abstract

The astrocytic tumors (gliomas) are the most frequent primary brain tumors in adults and children and the glioblastoma is the most malignant one in CNS (central nervous system). According to the actual treatment protocols, the survival is around 9 months. Despite the great progress in understanding the biology of these tumors in the last decades, it wasn't been decided effective therapies. The genetic expression profile of these tumors shows new molecular alterations and cellular signaling pathways involved in proliferation. This technology allows the identification of new specific therapeutic targets in an attempt to improve survival. In studies of our group evaluating differences in gene expression by microarray technology, was observed that the gene CBFA2T2 showed the greatest difference of expression between non-neoplastic white brain mass and specimens of glioblastoma (1.327 times). This gene interacts with a great number of genes related to the cell cycle and cancer and it seems to become an important role in neuronal differentiation. They'll be analyzed 40 samples of primary glioblastomas, 30 samples of pilocytic astrocytomas, and 15 of healthy white brain mass (acquired by temporal lobectomy in epilepsy surgical therapies) by quantitative real-time PCR to CBFA2T2 expression using TaqMan probes. The aim of the study is to analyze the association between the levels of expression of CBFA2T2 and the clinic-biological and histopathological properties of these tumors as histological subtype, age, gender, and survival.(AU)