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VIEWPOINT

A need for stratification of metastasis samples according to secondary site in gene expression studies

by IVANA SAMARŽIJA^1,2,*

1 Laboratory for Epigenomics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
2 Laboratory for Cell Biology and Signaling, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia

* Corresponding Author: Ivana Samaržija,

BIOCELL 2022, 46(7), 1747-1750. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2022.018784

Received 17 August 2021; Accepted 18 October 2021; Issue published 17 March 2022

Abstract

Comparisons of gene expression profiles between primary tumors and metastasis have revealed genes that are implicated in metastasis formation. However, gene expression studies conducted on metastasis samples from the same primary site usually do not discriminate between different secondary sites. Although the change in the expression of number of genes is expected to be common to metastasis from the same primary but different secondary sites, herein the data that point to substantial differences are presented. Furthermore, the reciprocal communication between metastatic and host cells that is influencing these differences is outlined to emphasize the need for stratification of metastasis samples in gene expression studies.

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