Reduced Sox7 Expression in Prostate Cancer and Associated with Poorly Differentiated Gleason Grade

Authors

  • Paul Whitley Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
  • Dhafer A. Alghezi Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Cancer Research Unit, College of Medicine, University of Thi-Qar, Iraq
  • Mark Beresford Department of Oncology, Royal United Hospital, Bath, United Kingdom
  • Rebecca Bowen and John Mitchard Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal United Hospital, Bath, United Kingdom
  • Andrew D Chalmers Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom

Keywords:

Sox7, IHC, Gleason grade, Prostate cancer

Abstract

Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for prostate cancer are few. It has been discovered that it is clinically challenging to discriminate between aggressive and non-aggressive prostate cancer. The aim of this study is to examine the hypothesis that Sox7 may be used as a potential biomarker for prostate cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Sox7 is a transcription factor that is found to play a role in controlling different biological processes throughout embryonic development, such as hemopoiesis, vasculogenesis, and cardiogenesis. It is also believed to be a tumor suppressor in a number of malignancies. Its function in prostate cancer, however, is not well understood. Nuclear and cytoplasmic Sox7 expression has been evaluated by immunohistochemistry using normal (16) and malignant (80) prostate tissues. The immunohistochemical study showed reduced nuclear and cytoplasmic Sox7 expression in prostate cancer compared to normal prostate tissues. This reduction was also associated significantly with increased primary Gleason grade.  This data suggests the possibility that Sox7 may play a key role in prostate tumor formation or aggressiveness, highlighting the need for further study to clarify its role and establish whether it might be used as a prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer.

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Published

2023-05-31

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 1 (2023)

Section

Articles