title: Expression profiling of ameloblastic carcinoma.
abstract: Ameloblastic carcinoma (AC) is a malignant epithelial odontogenic tumor that histologically retains the features of ameloblastic differentiation and exhibits cytological features of malignancy in the primary or recurrent tumor. It may develop within a preexisting ameloblastoma or arise de novo or from an odontogenic cyst. Expression profiling by DNA microarray is a new molecular technology that allows the analysis of cell and tissue gene expression. By using DNA microarrays containing 19,200 genes, several genes whose expression was significantly upregulated or downregulated were identified in a case of AC. The differentially expressed genes cover a broad range of functional activities: 1) transcription, 2) signaling transduction, 3) cell cycle regulation, 4) apoptosis control, and 5) differentiation. The data reported are, to our knowledge, the first genetic portrait of an AC. No final conclusion can be drawn; however, this portrait will be useful in investigating the biological behavior and in identifying possible gene targets for cancer therapy when more cases of this rare tumor are reported and compared.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. crc@unife.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carinci
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delaiti
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fioroni
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Furio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pezzetti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scapoli
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piattelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000564:Ameloblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015536:Down-Regulation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm