Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) and Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Promoter (TERTp) Methylation in Recurrent Adult and Primary Pediatric Pituitary Adenomas
| Componente | Categoria |
|---|---|
| Konstantinos Giannakakis | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca |
| Felice Giangaspero | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca |
| Componente | Qualifica | Struttura | Categoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maura Massimino | direttore Oncologia Pediatrica | Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca |
| Marie-Lise Jaffran-Rea | endocrinologa | IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca |
| Manuela Badiali | biologa | Responsabile Laboratorio Centro Trapianti midollo osseo, Ospedale Microcitemico Cagliari | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca |
Neoplastic cells acquire the ability to proliferate endlessly by maintaining telomeres via telomerase, or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). The role of telomere maintenance in pituitary adenomas (PAs) has yet to be thoroughly investigated.
We propose to examine 40 adult recurrent PAs (analyzing both onset and relapses) and 20 pediatric primary PAs. The presence of ALT will be assessed using telomere-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization, telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) methylation by methylation-specific PCR, and ATRX expression by immunohistochemistry.
In conclusion, we will elucidate wether ALT could be triggered at onset and maintained in progression of adult PAs, as well as pediatric cases as comparison, in the wiew of a possible use for diagnostic purposes, as a predictor of a higher probability of recurrences, starting soon after the onset of these tumors.