Trial Information

Estrogen-Related Receptor Alpha As A Novel Biomarker For Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

- Identify by mass spectroscopy and site-specific mutagenesis the post-translational
modifications of estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα1) that are responsible for ERRα1
function as a constitutive activator rather than a down-modulator of transcription of
estrogen response element-regulated genes in tumors of patients with breast cancer.

- Produce a panel of monoclonal antibodies to ERRα1 by standard hybridoma methods that
can be used to distinguish between the activator and repressor forms of this receptor
in these patients.

- Validate the utility for immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays of some of the ERRα-specific
sera by performing IHC and quantitative real-time PCR on some primary breast
carcinomas.

- Correlate the results of IHC studies on archival paraffin sections of primary breast
tumors using monoclonal antibodies to ERRα1, ERRα1 status, currently assayed
biomarkers, and course of treatment with patient outcomes.

OUTLINE: Breast tumor tissue samples are obtained from a tissue bank in the form of frozen
tumors and paraffin-embedded sections on microarray blocks. Monoclonal antibodies (MOABs) to
ERRα1 are produced using antigens in these tissue samples and immunohistochemical studies
are performed using the MOABs. Cytogenetic studies are performed on DNA purified from these
tissue samples.