Cancer

Lysyl oxidase, also known as LOX, is a copper-dependent enzyme that cross-links collagen and elastin through the oxidative deamination of peptidyl lysine (collagen and elastin) and hydroxylysine (collagen only) residues, thereby playing a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the extracellular matrix (1).

Glandular tissues synthesise substances for release, such as hormones and enzymes. The term adenocarcinoma is used to describe a cancer that originates within a glandular tissue, for example the ovary.

LC3B is subunit component of the LC3 autophagy biomarker associated with microtubule-associated proteins MAP1A and MAP1B and one of the best characterized markers to date. In resting state, it is cytosolic, but upon activation, is lapidated and becomes embedded in the autophagosomal membrane.

An AP (apurinic/apyrimidinic) site, also known as an abasic site, is a region of DNA that is lacking a purine or pyrimidine base. This can occur spontaneously, or as a result of DNA damage. When DNA damage occurs, DNA repair pathways are activated.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme essential for eukaryotic chromosomal termini replication. It is a useful marker as it is active only in progenitor and most cancer cells, but inactive or (active at very low activity) in normal somatic cells.

The Myosin superfamily is a large and diverse protein family, and its members are grouped into many classes, are involved in a number of cellular pathways (1). Myosins contain actin- and ATP-binding sites in their conserved catalytic head domain and localize to a number of intracellular compartments and participate in many trafficking and anchoring events.

Vimentin is a 57kDa type III intermediate filament (IF) protein that is the major cytoskeletal component of mesenchymal cells and the first to be expressed during cell differentiation. It plays a significant role in supporting and anchoring the position of the organelles in the cytosol and its dynamic nature is important for cell flexibility.  It is responsible for maintaining cell shape and cytoplasm integrity.