"Using these two biomarkers together could be a more universal way to screen hepatocellular carcinoma because no matter what the tumor stage, they are going to be good prognosticators," adds Giuseppe Russo, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Sbarro Institute.
Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sbarro Institute and co-director of the Center for Biotechnology, says that the analysis of Rb2 and VEGF expression could be a powerful tool in the hands of physicians, helping them to determine how aggressive the cancer will be and thus to better tailor therapies for individuals.
"The liver is very important because it is our body's filter," says Claudio. "There is still no real cure for hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients often get operated on, but ultimately, the only real hope is a liver transplant and unfortunately, there are only so many liver donors.
"The physician could now better understand and predict how the tumor is going to behave based on the molecular analysis of these two independent prognostic markers," he adds.
The study was carried out at Temple's Sbarro Institute in collaboration with Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the universities of Naples and Siena in Italy, and Drexel University's College of Medicine. It was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Sbarro Health Research Organization, and the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Foundation.
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Contact: Preston M. Moretz
pmoretz@temple.edu
215-204-7476
Temple University
15-May-2004