Molecular pathways undergoing dramatic transcriptomic changes during tumor development in the human colon.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The malignant transformation of precancerous colorectal lesions involves progressive alterations at both the molecular and morphologic levels, the latter consisting of increases in size and in the degree of cellular atypia. Analyzing preinvasive tumors of different sizes can therefore shed light on the sequence of these alterations.

Methods

We used a molecular pathway-based approach to analyze transcriptomic profiles of 59 colorectal tumors representing early and late preinvasive stages and the invasive stage of tumorigenesis. Random set analysis was used to identify biological pathways enriched for genes differentially regulated in tumors (compared with 59 samples of normal mucosa).

Results

Of the 880 canonical pathways we investigated, 112 displayed signi

SUBMITTER: Maglietta R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3541196 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature