The following is a summary of “Exploring heterogeneous expression of beta-actin (ACTB) in bladder cancer by producing a monoclonal antibody 6D6,” published in the June 2024 issue of Urology by Zareinejad et al.
Identifying novel specific biomarkers is essential for predicting outcomes and identifying potential therapeutic targets in cancer. This study aimed to discover and investigate new protein biomarkers associated with bladder cancer.
A library of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the JAM-ICR cell line was initially generated, and clones with high affinity were selected for further analysis. Hybridomas were screened using both bladder cancer (BLCA) cell lines and normal cells to ensure specificity. The target of the selected mAb was characterized using immunoaffinity purification, western blotting, and mass spectrometry analysis. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods assessed the target antigen’s expression. Various databases were also utilized to evaluate the expression of the target antigen in BLCA and other cancer types.
The screenings led to the selection of the 6D6 clone, which recognized an isoform of beta-actin (ACTB). The data demonstrated that ACTB expression across different cell lines was heterogeneous, ranging from low to high intensity. The 6D6 antibody exhibited strong binding affinity to epithelial cells while showing weak to no reactivity to stromal, endothelial, and smooth muscle cells. Notably, there was no association between ACTB expression intensity and prognostic factors in BLCA. In silico evaluations revealed a significant correlation between ACTB and overexpressed genes and biomarkers in BLCA. Additionally, the differential expression of ACTB in tumor versus healthy tissue and its correlation with survival time in various cancers was observed.
These findings suggest that the heterogeneous expression of ACTB could potentially serve as a valuable marker in the diagnosis or prognosis of cancer. Further research is warranted to explore ACTB’s full potential as a biomarker and to understand its role in cancer biology.
Source: bmcurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12894-024-01489-6
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