Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 in breast cancer.

This poster gives an overview of recent research into cytochrome P450 CYP1B1, which has previously been shown to present increased expression in several types of human cancer. This study specifically used immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of CYP1B1 in a series of primary breast cancers. The majority of breast cancers showed positive immunoreactivity for CYP1B1 and this enzyme was specifically localised to tumour cells. This is likely to contribute to breast cancer cells' metabolism of oestradiol and also means that CYP1B1 provides a molecular target for anti-cancer drugs that are specifically activated by this form of P450

Effect of organic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) extract on the genotoxicity of doxorubicin in the Drosophila wing spot test

The consumption of organic tomatoes (ORTs) reduces the risk of harmful effects to humans and the environment caused by exposure to toxic agrochemicals. In this study, we used the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) of wing spots in Drosophila melanogaster to evaluate the genotoxicity of ORT and the effect of cotreatment with ORT on the genotoxicity of Doxorubicin® (DXR, a cancer chemotherapeutic agent) that is mediated by free radical formation. Standard (ST) cross larvae were treated chronically with solutions containing 25%, 50% or 100% of an aqueous extract of ORT, in the absence and presence of DXR (0.125 mg/mL), and the number of mutant spots on the wings of emergent flies was counted. ORT alone was not genotoxic but enhanced the toxicity of DXR when administered concomitantly with DXR. The ORT-enhanced frequency of spots induced by DXR may have resulted from the interaction of ORT with the enzymatic systems that catalyze the metabolic detoxification of this drug

Cytochrome P450 in human brain tumours.

This presentation reports on a study investigating the presence and cellular localization of individual families of cytochrome P450 enzymes, in both normal brain and primary brain tumours. The immunoreactivity of individual P450s was identified using light microscopic immunohistochemistry. In all cases, positive immunoreactivity for each P450 was identified in tumour cells and, generally, in positively staining cells, the immunoreactivity was strong. The presentation suggests that individual forms of P450 in brain tumours could be important therapeutically for the development of anti-cancer drugs that are activated by those forms of P450

Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 over-expression in primary and metastatic ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological malignances worldwide. This paper discusses a study in which the presence of CYP1B1 in primary and metastatic ovarian cancer was investigated through immunohistochemistry. The aim of the study was to determine whether the presence of CYP1B1 (a tumour-related form of the cytochrome P450 enzymes) can be used to facilitate earlier detection of ovarian cancer, which may improve patient survival rate