GDS – Research topic 4
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF CARCINOGENESIS
Carcinogenesis is a multistep process that involves the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes affecting the expression of genes involved in the processes of cell growth, DNA repair, chromosome segregation, control of cell cycle and cell responses, etc. Two major classes of genes are engaged in the mechanisms of carcinogenesis: proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Proto-oncogenes play an important role in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation, and their activation leads to cell growth stimulation. Tumor suppressor genes inhibit the regulation of cell proliferation inducing cell apoptosis, and their inactivation causes impairment of these processes. Different types of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the activation of proto-oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes.
Our research is focused on genetic characteristics and epigenetic status of numerous tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes in breast cancer patients, in search of statistically significant correlations between abnormal gene status, clinico-pathological characteristics of patients and their survival.
Read more:
Antov, G, Krasteva, M, Andonova, S, Savov, A, Angelova, S, Stoilov, L, Toncheva, D. (2017) STK11 gene mutations among patients with sporadic breast cancer. Genetika, 49, 2, 399-413. https://doi.org/10.2298/GENSR1702399A
Krasteva, M, Angelova, S, Gospodinova, Z. (2014) Molecular-genetic aspects of breast cancer. Acta Medica Bulgarica, 41, 2, 67-79. https://doi.org/10.1515/amb-2014-0024
Krasteva, M, Antov, G, Gospodinova, Z, Angelova, S, Nacheva, M, Georgieva, E, Gavrilov, I. (2014) Aberrant promoter methylation in p53 and ATM genes was not associated with sporadic breast carcinogenesis in Bulgarian patients. Journal of BioScience and Biotechnology, 3, 2, 105-109.
Angelova, S, Krasteva, M, Gospodinova, Z, Georgieva E. (2012) CHEK2 gene alterations independently increase the risk of death from breast cancer in Bulgarian patients. Neoplasma, 59, 6, 622-630. https://doi.org/10.4149/neo_2012_079
Krasteva, M, Bozhanov, S, Antov, G, Gospodinova, Z, Angelova, S, Georgieva, E. (2012) Breast cancer patients with hypermethylation in the promoter of BRCA1 gene exhibit favorable clinical status. Neoplasma, 59, 1, 85-91. https://doi.org/10.4149/neo_2012_011
Bozhanov, S, Angelova, S, Krasteva, M, Markov, Ts, Christova, S, Gavrilov, I, Georgieva E. (2010) Alterations in p53, BRCA1, ATM, PIK3CA, and HER2 genes and their effect in modifying clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival of Bulgarian patients with breast cancer. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 136, 1657–1669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-010-0824-9
