The Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibitor and likely tumor suppressor proteins, sprouty 1 and sprouty 2 are deregulated in breast cancer

Abstract

Sprouty (Spry) proteins were found to be endogenous inhibitors of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway that play an important role in the remodeling of branching tissues. We investigated Spry expression levels in various cancers and found that Spry1 and Spry2 were downregulated consistently in breast cancers. Such prevalent patterns of downregulation may herald the later application of these isoforms as tumor markers that are breast cancer specific and more profound than currently characterized markers. Spry1 and 2 were expressed specifically in the luminal epithelial cells of breast ducts, with higher expression during stages of tissue remodeling when the epithelial ducts are fo..