Multiple alternative splicing markers for ovarian cancer

Cancer Res. 2008 Feb 1;68(3):657-63. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-2580.

Abstract

Intense efforts are currently being directed toward profiling gene expression in the hope of developing better cancer markers and identifying potential drug targets. Here, we present a sensitive new approach for the identification of cancer signatures based on direct high-throughput reverse transcription-PCR validation of alternative splicing events. This layered and integrated system for splicing annotation (LISA) fills a gap between high-throughput microarray studies and high-sensitivity individual gene investigations, and was created to monitor the splicing of 600 cancer-associated genes in 25 normal and 21 serous ovarian cancer tissues. Out of >4,700 alternative splicing events screened, the LISA identified 48 events that were significantly associated with serous ovarian tumor tissues. In a further screen directed at 39 ovarian tissues containing cancer pathologies of various origins, our ovarian cancer splicing signature successfully distinguished all normal tissues from cancer. High-volume identification of cancer-associated splice forms by the LISA paves the way for the use of alternative splicing profiling to diagnose subtypes of cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alternative Splicing
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger