Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA.
Public Health Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA.
Genes (Basel). 2024 Aug 26;15(9):1122. doi: 10.3390/genes15091122.
The prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma is increasing, and efforts that aid in an early and accurate diagnosis are crucial to improve clinical outcomes for patients. Cornulin, a squamous epithelium-specific protein, has recently garnered attention due to its implications in the progression of squamous cell carcinoma developed in several tissues. As an epidermal differentiation marker, it is involved in skin anchoring, regulating cellular proliferation, and is a putative tumor suppressor. The physiologically healthy squamous epithelium displays a considerable level of Cornulin, whereas squamous cell carcinomas have marked downregulation, suggesting that Cornulin expression levels can be utilized for the early detection and follow-up on the progression of these types of cancer. Cornulin's expression patterns in cervical cancer have been examined, and findings support the stepwise downregulation of Cornulin levels that accompanies the progression to neoplasia in the cervix. Additional studies documented a similar trend in expression in other types of cancer, such as cutaneous, esophageal, and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. The consistent and predictable pattern of Cornulin expression across several squamous cell carcinomas and its correlation with key clinicopathological parameters make it a reliable biomarker for assessing the transformation and progression events in the squamous epithelium, thus potentially contributing to the early detection, definitive diagnosis, and more favorable prognosis for these cancer patients.
鳞状细胞癌的患病率正在上升，因此，努力进行早期和准确的诊断对于改善患者的临床预后至关重要。角蛋白是一种鳞状上皮特异性蛋白，由于其在几种组织中发展的鳞状细胞癌的进展中的作用，最近引起了关注。作为表皮分化标志物，它参与皮肤锚定，调节细胞增殖，并且是推定的肿瘤抑制因子。生理上健康的鳞状上皮显示出相当水平的角蛋白，而鳞状细胞癌则明显下调，这表明角蛋白表达水平可用于早期检测和随访这些类型癌症的进展。已经检查了宫颈癌中的角蛋白表达模式，研究结果支持角蛋白水平逐步下调的趋势，这种下调伴随着宫颈癌向肿瘤的进展。其他研究也记录了在其他类型的癌症（如皮肤癌、食管癌和口咽癌）中表达的相似趋势。角蛋白在几种鳞状细胞癌中的一致和可预测的表达模式及其与关键临床病理参数的相关性，使其成为评估鳞状上皮转化和进展事件的可靠生物标志物，从而有助于这些癌症患者的早期检测、明确诊断和更有利的预后。
