title: Different pediatric brain tumors are associated with different gene expression profiling.
abstract: Malignant brain tumors are the most common pediatric solid tumors and are the leading cause of death from childhood cancers. These tumors include several histologic subtypes. Due to the particular properties of brain tumors, such as growth and division, examination of brain tumors and the analysis of results are not simple. Up to date there is a dearth of useful biomarkers that have been validated and clinically implemented for pediatric brain tumors. In order to identify the new genetic alterations we recognized, using microarray dataset, chitinases as new potential biomarkers of CNS tumors. The modulation of chitinases was confirmed also in the different histologic subtypes. Our study revealed that distinct patterns of chitinases expression characterize the diverse histological subtypes. In addition evaluating other lisosomal enzymes such as glycosidases and proteases we found that NEU4, CTBS and GBA2 belonging to glycosidases family and CTSC, CTSK and CTSF belonging to proteases family were differently modulated. Future investigations are needed to be performed before some of these enzymes could finally be used as biomarkers of specific types of CNS neoplasms.
authors: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. Electronic address: mdirosa@unict.it.
authors: Michelino
authors: M
authors: Di Rosa
authors: Section of Neuroscience, University of Catania, Department GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Sanfilippo
authors: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Libra
authors: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Musumeci
authors: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Malaguarnera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
keywords: Chitinases; Lysosomal glycosidase; Lysosomal protease; Tumor brain