Embryonic stem cell transcription factor signatures in the diagnosis of primary and m

[Fed]

Yup , but give me a chemistry paper and you'll really see crossed eyes!

I should send you my recent paper on targeting osteosarcoma with stapled p53 peptides .

As a side note, I will begin the male GU lab at the pathobiology workshop in 20 minutes. They are some pretty decent bibliographic items that I haven't seen before. I'll post them when I get back home.

[Karen]

Yup , but give me a chemistry paper and you'll really see crossed eyes!

[Mom]

My eyes are crossed. Do you really understand that stuff?

[Karen]

This is for the geeks, from a geek....immunohistochemical diagnostic tool to differentiate seminoma from embryonal carcinoma....will help verify pathology better than is available now.

Am J Surg Pathol. 2007 Jun;31(6):836-45.
Embryonic stem cell transcription factor signatures in the diagnosis of primary and metastatic germ cell tumors.Santagata S, Ligon KL, Hornick JL.
Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

The core embryonic stem cell transcription factors (TFs) OCT3/4 (OCT4), NANOG, and SOX2 have shared as well as nonoverlapping roles in stem cell growth and differentiation. These same TFs are also expressed in various types of human germ cell tumors (GCTs), implicating them in regulation of tumor growth and differentiation. Although NANOG and OCT3/4 are sensitive and specific markers for seminoma and embryonal carcinoma, neither factor aids in the clinically important distinction of seminomatous from nonseminomatous tumors. In contrast, expression profiling data suggest that SOX2 may help with this distinction. To determine if a panel of embryonic stem cell TFs (NANOG, OCT3/4, and SOX2) can facilitate the identification and distinction of seminomatous from nonseminomatous GCTs, we evaluated their expression by immunohistochemistry in primary testicular (n=41) and metastatic retroperitoneal (n=43) GCTs. Our results confirm NANOG and OCT3/4 as sensitive and specific markers for primary seminoma and embryonal carcinoma and demonstrate the novel finding that NANOG is a marker for metastatic GCTs. In addition, SOX2 is expressed in embryonal carcinoma but not pure seminoma and is therefore a useful diagnostic marker for distinguishing seminomatous and nonseminomatous GCTs. In summary, we find that the embryonic stem cell TF signature of seminoma is NANOG+, OCT3/4+, and SOX2-, whereas embryonal carcinoma is NANOG+, OCT3/4+, and SOX2+, and expect these immunohistochemical profiles will facilitate the diagnosis of both primary and metastatic GCTs.