Abstract 1401: SYK promotes tumor progression in ovarian cancer cell lines

Identification of novel drug targets in ovarian cancers has focused on expression of genes in the tyrosine kinase family. We have previously shown that the spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) gene was expressed in 73% of 55 ovarian cancer specimens, compared to 26% of 60 breast cancer specimens. Previous studies established the role of SYK in tumor progression. Among its many targets, SYK can bind microtubules and other molecules associated with the cytoskeleton. We found SYK to be expressed in 6 of 10 ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Because of the ability of SYK to bind to microtubules, we studied the relationship of SYK expression to cellular migration. We examined several ovarian cancer cell lines that variably express SYK to elucidate the potential effects of SYK on cell migration. Our results demonstrate that knockdown of SYK expression by siRNA resulted in a decreased capability of cells to migrate using a traditional wound scratch assay. The duration of this effect was dependant upon cell line used suggesting that additional protein targets may be involved in the migratory process. The potential effects of SYK expression on invasion are currently being investigated. We will evaluate potential upstream and downstream targets to elucidate the pathway(s) responsible for SYK effects and compare within the cell lines examined. Understanding the growth signals and proteins potentially responsible for invasion and metastasis in ovarian cancer cell lines and tumor samples may eventually lead to new therapeutic approaches for ovarian cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1401. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1401