Fas Ligand in Breast Tissue and Its Role in Apoptosis
Author Information
Author(s): Ragnarsson G B, Mikaelsdottir E K, Vidarsson H, Jónasson J G, Ólafsdóttir K, Kristjánsdóttir K, Kjartansson J, Ögmundsdóttir H M, Rafnar T
Primary Institution: Molecular and Cell Biology Research Laboratory, Icelandic Cancer Society
Hypothesis
Fas ligand may play a role in the immune evasion of breast tumors.
Conclusion
Fas ligand is expressed intracellularly in both normal and malignant breast epithelium and is unlikely to be important for the immune evasion of breast tumors.
Supporting Evidence
- Fas and FasL are co-expressed in both normal and malignant breast tissue.
- FasL was not detected on the surface of breast cells but was present intracellularly.
- Neither normal breast epithelium nor breast cell lines induced Fas-dependent apoptosis in Jurkat cells.
- Few apoptotic cells were detected in tumor samples.
Takeaway
The study looked at a protein called Fas ligand in breast tissue and found that it doesn't help cancer cells avoid being killed by the immune system.
Methodology
Immuno-histochemistry and flow cytometry were used to study the expression of Fas and FasL in breast tissue samples.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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