The ERK/MAPK pathway is overexpressed and activated in gallbladder cancer.
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly fatal disease with poor prognosis and few therapeutic alternatives. Molecular profiling has revealed that the deregulation in the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway plays a crucial role in many disease and malignancies, including GBC. The aim of this study was to measure the expression of ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 in a population with high GBC-related mortality, such as the Chilean population, and characterize the protein expression of this ERK/MAPK pathway in seven GBC cell lines. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 was performed in 123 GBC tissues and 37 chronic cholecystitis (CC) tissues. In addition, protein expression analysis by western blot for ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, EGFR, ERBB2 and ERBB3 were performed in seven GBC cell lines (GB-d1, G415, NOZ, OCUG-1, TGBC-1, TGBC-2 and TGBC-24). A higher ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 expression was found in GBC tissues compared to chronic cholecystitis (CC) tissues (P<0.001). However, neither significant differences in overall survival nor significant associations with any of the clinicopathological features were found by comparing low and high expression of both ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2. Western blot analysis of seven GBC cell lines showed that, in general, GB-d1, G415 and NOZ cells evidenced a strong expression of ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, EGFR, ERBB2 and ERBB3. Therefore, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 seem to be important in the development of GBC and GB-d1, G415 and NOZ cell lines may be used as experimental models for further in vitro and in vivo studies that help to decipher the role of MAPK/ERK pathway in gallbladder carcinogenesis.
['Buchegger|Kurt|K|', 'Silva|Ramón|R|', 'López|Jaime|J|', 'Ili|Carmen|C|', 'Araya|Juan Carlos|JC|', 'Leal|Pamela|P|', 'Brebi|Priscilla|P|', 'Riquelme|Ismael|I|', 'Roa|Juan Carlos|JC|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D045744:Cell Line, Tumor D005260:Female D005704:Gallbladder D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic D006801:Humans D007150:Immunohistochemistry D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 D015398:Signal Transduction D046888:Tissue Array Analysis D055815:Young Adult
ERK/MAPK pathway Gallbladder cancer ERK1/2 Immunohistochemistry