Evaluation of the BAP1 tumor suppressor gene in renal cell carcinoma

描述（由申请人提供）：肾癌每年影响超过27万人，造成超过11万人死亡。在美国，2011年估计有60,920例肾癌新病例和13,120例肾癌死亡，而且发病率还在上升。我们发现15%的肾肿瘤中BAP1基因失活。我们发现，BAP1突变的肿瘤往往没有另一种基因PBRM1的突变。在70%的肾肿瘤中观察到BAP1或PBRM1突变，然而，BAP1突变与侵袭性特征（高肿瘤分级）相关，而PBRM1突变的肿瘤表现出更多的良性特征。由于突变基因最终导致了癌细胞的行为，因此这些结果具有重大意义。这些发现为基于突变基因的肾癌分类奠定了基础。此外，我们最近报道了BAP1-和pbrm1突变肿瘤与不同的生物学和不同的结果相关。bap1突变肿瘤患者的中位总生存期为1.9年，而pbrm1突变肿瘤患者的中位总生存期为5.4年。因此，我们的发现已经对临床产生了影响。本课题拟通过一系列的生化和分子生物学实验来确定BAP1如何保护肾细胞免受肿瘤的侵袭，并在小鼠体内建立肾癌的基因工程模型。该项目是我们发现BAP1在肾癌中突变的逻辑延伸，并利用了一个优秀的实验室研究平台。对BAP1功能的更深入了解，加上更好的动物模型，将为更好的治疗铺平道路。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Kidney cancer affects over 270,000 individuals and accounts for more than 110,000 deaths yearly worldwide. In the United States, 60,920 new cases and 13,120 deaths of kidney cancer were estimated in 2011, and the incidence is rising. We have discovered that the gene BAP1 is inactivated in 15% of kidney tumors. We found that tumors with BAP1 mutations tend not to have mutations in another gene, PBRM1. Mutations in BAP1 or PBRM1 were observed in 70% of all renal tumors, however, whereas BAP1 mutation was associated with aggressive features (high tumor grade), tumors with PBRM1 mutations exhibited more benign features. Since mutated genes are ultimately responsible for the behavior of cancer cells, these results have substantial implications. These findings establish the foundation for a classification of kidney cancer based on mutated genes. Furthermore, we reported recently that BAP1- and PBRM1-mutant tumors are associated with different biology and disparate outcomes. The median overall survival for patients with BAP1-mutant tumors is 1.9 years, whereas it is 5.4 years for patients with PBRM1-mutant tumors. Thus, our discoveries are already impacting the clinic. In this proposal, experiments are proposed to determine, through a series of biochemical and molecular biology experiments, how BAP1 protects kidney cells from tumor development, and to create a genetically-engineered model of kidney cancer in the mouse. This project is a logical extension of our discovery that BAP1 is mutated in kidney cancer and leverages an outstanding research platform in the laboratory. A deeper understanding of how BAP1 functions coupled with better animal models should pave the way for better treatments for patients.