title: Orphan nuclear receptor Nurr1 as a potential novel marker for progression in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Nuclear receptor related-1 protein (Nurr1) is a novel orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily (the NR4A family) involved in tumorigenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and possible function of Nurr1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The expression pattern of Nurr1 protein was determined using immunohistochemical staining in 138 patients with PDAC. Elevated Nurr1 expression was more commonly observed in PDAC tissues and cell lines compared with healthy controls. Elevated expression was significantly associated with histological differentiation (P=0.041), lymph node metastasis (P=0.021), TNM classification of malignant tumors stage (P=0.031) and poor survival (P=0.001). Further experiments demonstrated that suppression of endogenous Nurr1 expression attenuated cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis of PDAC cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that Nurr1 has an important role in the progression of PDAC and may be used as a novel marker for therapeutic targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Afﬁliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The First People's Hospital of Taicang, Taicang, Jiangsu 215400, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, XuZhou Central Hospital, XuZhou, Jiangsu 221000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liangyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Afﬁliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Linping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Surgical Comprehensive Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fenfen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Surgical Comprehensive Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chunjing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Surgical Comprehensive Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Afﬁliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guoxiong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: development; nuclear receptor related-1 protein; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; prognosis