Genetic variants modulating CRIPTO serum levels identified by genome-wide association study in Cilento isolates.

ABSTRACT: Cripto, the founding member of the EGF-CFC genes, plays an essential role in embryo development and is involved in cancer progression. Cripto is a GPI-anchored protein that can interact with various components of multiple signaling pathways, such as TGF-β, Wnt and MAPK, driving different processes, among them epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell proliferation, and stem cell renewal. Cripto protein can also be cleaved and released outside the cell in a soluble and still active form. Cripto is not significantly expressed in adult somatic tissues and its re-expression has been observed associated to pathological conditions, mainly cancer. Accordingly, CRIPTO has been detected at very low levels in the plasma of healthy volunteers, whereas its levels are significantly higher in patients wit

SUBMITTER: Ruggiero D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4309561 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature