Synovial Sarcoma Cell Proliferation Suppressed by Inhibiting the Localization of the Causal Protein

December 09, 2013

Researchers in Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences have shown that synovial sarcoma cell proliferation is suppressed by inhibiting the localization of the causal protein.

The findings were published online October 9, 2013 in the journal of PLoS One.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0077564

Synovial sarcoma is a relatively rare soft tissue sarcoma that often develops in the limbs of young people (age range 5–40 years old) and induces lung and lymph node metastasis resulting in poor prognosis. In patients with synovial sarcoma, a reciprocal translocation of t (X; 18) is observed, and SS18-SSX fusion proteins expressed by this translocation is reported to be associated with pathogenesis. However, the role of the fusion protein in the pathogenesis has not been completely clarified.

Mamoru Ouchida and his colleagues investigated the localization pattern of each component of synovial sarcoma-related fusion protein, and examined the inhibiting effect of the localization of SS18-SSX protein. The results suggest that the characteristic localization pattern of SS18-SSX is strongly involved in tumorigenesis through the SSX moiety of the SS18-SSX fusion protein (tSSX), and cell proliferation of synovial sarcoma cells is suppressed by exogenous tSSX.

The findings could be applied to further understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms, as well as the development of a new approach of treatment of synovial sarcoma.

Contact Information:
Mototaka Senda, Ph.D.
US Representative
Intellectual Property Office, Organization for Research Promotion and Collaboration, Okayama University
Fremont, California USA
TEL: 1-510-797-0907
Email: takasenda@okayama-u.ac.jp

Mamoru Ouchida,
Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan