This range of antibodies and associated technologies has been developed for use in histopathology laboratories for the differential diagnosis of colorectal carcinomas
Following the success of the breast cancer panel, Cambridge BioScience has introduced the Zymed Laboratories colorectal cancer panel.
This range of antibodies and associated technologies has been developed for use in histopathology laboratories for the differential diagnosis of colorectal carcinomas.
It comprises thymidylate synthase (TS), EGFr, MSH2 and MLH1, available in a concentrated format for the staining of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.
Thymidylate synthase has been shown to correlate with resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5FU), the mainstay of colorectal carcinoma therapy.
Under normal circumstances, TS is inhibited by 5FU. Recent studies suggest that high levels of TS generally mean a poorer prognosis and poor response to 5FU.
EGFr is overexpressed by many colorectal tumours and this is associated with poor prognosis.
Clinical trials are currently underway using monoclonal anti-EGFr therapy.
Previous studies have shown that anti-EGFr antibodies can inhibit human colon carcinoma cell growth in vitro.
MSH2 and MLH1 proteins are involved in DNA repair and are often mutated in cases of hereditary nonpolyposis colon carcinoma.
Several studies are currently underway to determine whether one or both have any prognostic value.
10-15% colorectal tumours show abnormal expression of these proteins.
