From microarray to biology: an integrated experimental, statistical and in silico analysis of how the extracellular matrix modulates the phenotype of cancer cells
2008

How the Extracellular Matrix Affects Cancer Cell Behavior

Sample size: 2000 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Mikhail G Dozmorov, Kimberly D Kyker, Paul J Hauser, Ricardo Saban, David D Buethe, Igor Dozmorov, Michael B Centola, Daniel J Culkin, Robert E Hurst

Primary Institution: Oklahoma University Health Sciences Centre

Hypothesis

Can the extracellular matrix influence the phenotype of cancer cells?

Conclusion

The study shows that the extracellular matrix significantly alters gene expression in bladder cancer cells.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study identified over 2,000 genes of interest from a genome-wide scan.
  • A total of 877 unique 'off-on' genes were turned on by the crECM.
  • The approach minimizes the need for replicates while maintaining statistical robustness.

Takeaway

This study looks at how a special layer around cells can change how cancer cells behave and what genes they use.

Methodology

The study used microarray analysis to examine gene expression changes in bladder cancer cells grown on different substrates.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the absence of a control group in some analyses.

Limitations

The lack of replicates may lead to sensitivity to outliers.

Participant Demographics

Bladder papilloma-derived cell line (RT4) was used.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p < 2.87 × 10-7

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2105-9-S9-S4

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