학술논문
TRK Protein Expression in Merkel Cell Carcinoma Is Not Caused by NTRK Fusions.
Document Type
Article
Author
Cappellesso, Rocco; Nicolè, Lorenzo; Del Fiore, Paolo; Barzon, Luisa; Sinigaglia, Alessandro; Riccetti, Silvia; Franco, Renato; Zito Marino, Federica; Munari, Giada; Zamuner, Carolina; Cavallin, Francesco; Sbaraglia, Marta; Galuppini, Francesca; Bassetto, Franco; Alaibac, Mauro; Chiarion-Sileni, Vanna; Piccin, Luisa; Benna, Clara; Fassan, Matteo; Mocellin, Simone
Source
Subject
*MERKEL cell carcinoma
*NEUROENDOCRINE cells
*PROTEIN expression
*GENE expression
*NEUROTROPHIN receptors
*PROTEIN-tyrosine kinases
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Language
ISSN
1661-6596
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive cutaneous malignant tumor with neuroendocrine differentiation, with a rapidly growing incidence rate, high risk of recurrence, and aggressive behavior. The available therapeutic options for advanced disease are limited and there is a pressing need for new treatments. Tumors harboring fusions involving one of the neurotrophin receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) genes are now actionable with targeted inhibitors. NTRK-fused genes have been identified in neuroendocrine tumors of other sites; thus, a series of 76 MCCs were firstly analyzed with pan-TRK immunohistochemistry and the positive ones with real-time RT-PCR, RNA-based NGS, and FISH to detect the eventual underlying gene fusion. Despite 34 MCCs showing pan-TRK expression, NTRK fusions were not found in any cases. As in other tumors with neural differentiation, TRK expression seems to be physiological and not caused by gene fusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]