title: Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against choline kinase alpha and their potential use as diagnostic tools in cancer.
abstract: Choline kinase alpha (ChoKalpha) is a metabolic enzyme involved in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, recently implicated in cancer onset since it is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers such as mammary, lung, colorectal and prostate adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, overexpression of ChoKalpha in human HEK293T cells confers them oncogenic properties with the induction of tumors after subcutaneous injection in nude mice. ChoKalpha levels in tumor samples have been analyzed using polyclonal antibodies and Western blotting. These techniques have considerable limitations and do not allow for a precise and efficient evaluation of the real significance of ChoK overexpression in human carcinogenesis. We developed a set of monoclonal antibodies with high specificity and sensitivity against ChoKalpha, and characterized their properties. We provide evidence that the newly generated MoAbs against ChoKalpha have potential use in cancer diagnosis by conventional immunohistochemistry techniques.
authors.affiliation: Translational Oncology Unit, CSIC-UAM-La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gallego-Ortega
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramirez De Molina
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Maria Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Jacinto
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarmentero
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cejas
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nistal
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González Barón
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lacal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D002797:Choline Kinase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D002797:Choline Kinase