Barrett's oesophagus (BO) arises from chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease(GORD). Patients have an increased risk of adenocarcinoma (ADC), which is the sixth most common cause of cancer mortality in the UK. All ADC develop from BO, and over the last twenty years there has been a marked increase in both conditions. The reasons for this are not known, however, as with some forms of gastric cancer, it is possible that there may be a bacterial aetiology. This study employed both culturebased and molecular techniques to characterise microbial communities colonising the distal oesophageal mucosae in individuals with GORD, BO and ADC, together with healthy controls. Furthermore, in vitro models were designed to create an oral microbiota, from which an oesophageal community could develop. Microbial analysis identified a shift in oesophageal population composition with disease progression, with an incremental increase in total eubacterial scores related to the metaplasia-dysplasia sequence. Additionally, an increased proportion of Gram negative species and potentially pathogenic organisms, such as Peptostreptococcus were identified. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 75%, 50% and 60% of GORD, BO and ADC patients, respectively, compared with 20% of controls. Helicobacter pylori, which has been proposed to be protective in oesophageal disease, was significantly reduced in disease, especially in ADC patients. In vitro models were successful, with a simple oral microbiota leading to the development of unique, varied oesophageal populations representative of those found in vivo. Additionally, after exposure of this community to bile acid, population dynamics were altered, with an increase in Gram negative species, associated with a rise in haemolytic and mucinolytic activities. Exposure of oesophageal cell lines to these stressed biofilms resulted in increased cell death, and in some cases, amplified expression of p53 and COX-2. In conclusion, this research proved an association between bacterial composition and oesophageal disease. With progression to adenocarcinoma, the community becomes increasingly diversified and Gram negative in character, and therefore, is proposed to be more pathogenic. Further research is required to investigate causal relationships, through which mechanisms for disease initiation and/or maintenance can be understood.

Wang, Ruizhi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-134). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Publications --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iv / 中文摘要 --- p.viii / Abbreviations --- p.xi / List of tables --- p.xiv / List of figures --- p.xv / Contents --- p.xvii / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Epidemiology of gastric cancer --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Risk factors of gastric cancer --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Treatment of gastric cancer --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Surgical treatment --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Chemotherapy --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Targeted therapy --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- "Phenotypes of cell death: apoptosis, oncosis and autophagy" --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Cell death --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Apoptosis --- p.10 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Oncosis --- p.11 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Autophagy --- p.12 / Chapter 1.4.4 --- p53 --- p.13 / Chapter 1.5 --- Heme oxygenase-1 --- p.14 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- General introduction of Heme oxygenase --- p.14 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Anti-oxidant function of HO-1 --- p.15 / Chapter 1.5.3 --- Anti-inflammation function of HO-1 --- p.17 / Chapter 1.5.4 --- Pro-angiogenesis role of HO-1 --- p.18 / Chapter 1.5.5 --- HO-1 and cell proliferation --- p.19 / Chapter 1.5.6 --- HO-1 as a therapeutic target for tumors --- p.20 / Chapter 1.6 --- Objectives of study --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- Methods and materials --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1 --- Gastric cancer cell lines --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2 --- Cell proliferation detection --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- "MTT(3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide)assay" --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.1.1 --- Introduction of MTT assay --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.1.2 --- Processes of MTT assay --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.1.3 --- Cell proliferation and cytotoxicity of drugs --- p.28 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Detection of apoptosis by TUNEL assay --- p.29 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- TUNEL (Terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) --- p.29 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Sample preparation --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3 --- Detection of cell cycle by flow cytometry --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Cell cycle --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Sample preparation --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Flow cytometry analysis --- p.34 / Chapter 2.4 --- Detection of mitochondrial membrane potential(ΔΨm) --- p.35 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Sample preparation --- p.35 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Mitochondrial membrane potential(ΔΨm) analysis by flow cytometry --- p.36 / Chapter 2.5 --- Detection of proteins investigated in the project --- p.37 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Antibodies --- p.37 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Sample Preparation --- p.39 / Chapter 2.5.2.1 --- Cell culture --- p.39 / Chapter 2.5.2.2 --- Protein extraction --- p.39 / Chapter 2.5.2.3 --- Protein assay --- p.41 / Chapter 2.5.2.4 --- Final loading protein --- p.42 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Western blotting --- p.43 / Chapter 2.6 --- Statistical analysis --- p.45 / Chapter Chapter three: --- Roles of HO-1 in 5-FU treatment for gastric cancer cell lines --- p.47 / Chapter 3.1 --- Cell proliferations with drug treatments --- p.48 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- MTT assay --- p.48 / Chapter 3.1.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.48 / Chapter 3.1.1.2 --- Method and results --- p.49 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- TUNEL assay --- p.58 / Chapter 3.1.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.58 / Chapter 3.1.2.2 --- Method and results --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2 --- HO-1 expression with drug treatments --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Method and results --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3 --- Discussion --- p.72 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- Mechanism responsible for the additive effect of 5-FU and ZnPP --- p.77 / Chapter 4.1 --- Cell cycle arrest after drug treatments --- p.78 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Introduction --- p.78 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Method and results --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2 --- Mitochondrial dependent and independent pathway --- p.85 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.85 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Method and results --- p.87 / Chapter 4.3 --- Alteration of apoptotic proteins in gastric cancer cell death after drug treatments --- p.91 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Introduction --- p.91 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Method and results --- p.94 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.101 / Chapter Chapter Five: --- Summary and future prospects --- p.107 / Chapter 5.1 --- Summary --- p.108 / Chapter 5.1.1. --- The inhibition of HO-1 enhances the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to 5-FU --- p.108 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Apoptosis induced by 5-FU plus HO-1 inhibitor ZnPP is through a mitochondrial-related pathway in MKN28 and MKN45 --- p.109 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- 5-FU plus ZnPP induces apoptosis in a caspase-dependent pathway in MKN45 while in both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathway in MKN28 --- p.110 / Chapter 5.2 --- Future prospects --- p.111 / References --- p.113

No description available.

The interplay between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) remains a critical regulator of both normal tissue organization and cancer cell invasion. Proteins that function as ECM receptors function to link the cell with the ECM. Abberations in either the structure of the ECM or the expression of ECM receptors leads to disrupted interaction and downstream signaling effects. Dystroglyan (DG) is an ECM receptor that is expressed in a variety of tissue types and functions to mediate sarcolemma stability, epithelial polarity, and is critical in the early formation of basement membranes. However, DG has primarily been studied in muscle where loss of its function is linked to a host of muscular dystrophies. In the epithelium, the role of DG remains enigmatic. While DG has repeatedly been shown to lose function during cancer development and progression, the mechanism and functional consequence of its loss are currently unknown. In order to increase our understanding of DG in cancer development, we analyzed its expression and glycosylation, a functional requirement for DG, in a range of prostate cancer cell lines. Previous work has shown DG to be downregulated in prostate cancer, but the mechanism by which this occurs has remained largely unclear. We found that DG expression is maintained while its glycosylation was heterogeneous in the cell lines. Further investigation revealed that lines with hypoglycosylated DG strongly associated with the loss of expression of the glycosyltransferase LARGE2. Further this enzyme is frequently downregulated in human cancers and appears to serve as a required enzyme in DG glycosylation within prostate epithelium. This is the first work to demonstrate the functional requirement of LARGE2 for DG, and the only work to implicate loss-of-function of LARGE2 in cancer progression. To determine whether loss of LARGE2 is found in other tumor types, we analyzed human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) samples by immunohistochemistry and via in silico analysis with the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Our work demonstrated a frequent and significant downregulation of LARGE2 expression and its association with DG hypoglycosylation. Additionally, we found the loss of LARGE2 strongly associated with increased mortality. Thus, we again demonstrated a functional requirement of LARGE2 but also found a clinical correlate with increased mortality. Finally, we examined the functional outcome of DG hypoglycosylation or loss of expression in both a mouse model of prostate cancer and a variety of cell lines models. We found that while loss of DG expression does not increase prostate cancer growth or metastasis in one model of cancer, loss of its glycosylation does seem to mediate downstream metabolic changes within cells. The mechanism for this change remains unclear. In summary, these studies have contributed to our understanding of DG glycosylation and function in both prostate and renal carcinoma. Additionally, we have shown a novel mechanism by which DG glycosylation is lost with downregulation of LARGE2 expression. Finally, while we were unable to demonstrate a clear mechanism by which signaling changes arose, we were able to demonstrate a strong correlation between DG hypoglycosylation and increased mortality in ccRCC. These insights could be used to improve treatment of multiple cancer types as our understanding of DG function continues to improve.

Vibrational spectroscopic imaging techniques have emerged as powerful methods of obtaining sensitive spatially resolved molecular information from microscopic samples. The data obtained from such techniques reflect the intrinsic molecular chemistry of the sample and in particular yield a wealth of information regarding functional groups which comprise the majority of important molecules found in cells and tissue. These spectroscopic imaging techniques also have the advantage of acquisition of large numbers of spectral measurements which allow statistical analysis of spectral features which are characteristic of the normal histological state as well as different pathologic disease states. Databases of large numbers of samples can be acquired and used to build model systems that can be used to predict spatial properties of unknown samples. The successful construction and application of such a model system relies on the ability to compile high-quality spectral database information on a large number of samples with minimal sample-to-sample preparation artifact. Tissue microarrays provide a consistent sample preparation for high-throughput infrared spectroscopic profiling of histologic specimens. Tissue arrays consisting of representative normal healthy prostate tissue as well as pathologic entities including prostatitis, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and prostatic adenocarcinoma were constructed and used as sample populations for infrared spectroscopic imaging at high spatial and spectral resolutions. Histological and pathological features of the imaged tissue were correlated with consecutive tissue sections stained with standard histologic stains and visualized via traditional optical microscopy and reviewed with a trained pathologist. Spectral analysis of histologic class mean spectra and subsequent cross-sample statistical validation were used to classify reliable spectral metrics for class discrimination. Multivariate Gaussian maximum likelihood classification algorithms were used to reliably classify all pixels in an image scene to one of six different histologic subclasses: epithelium, smooth muscular stroma, fibrous stroma, corpora amylacea, lymphocytic infiltration, and blood. The developed database-dependent classification methods were used as a tool to investigate subsequent microarrays designed with both normal epithelial tissue as well as adenocarcinoma from a large population of patients. Such investigation led to the identification of spectral features that proved useful in the preliminary discrimination of benign and malignant prostatic epithelial tissue.

Les laminopathies regroupent des pathologies liées aux lamines. La Progeria est due à une mutation du gène LMNA entrainant la synthèse d’une protéine anormale : la progérine. Elle s’accumule dans le noyau et entraîne des dommages cellulaires aboutissant à une sénescence prématurée, à l’origine d’un vieillissement prématuré et accéléré des patients dont le décès survient vers l’âge de 14 ans. Les microARNs (miRs) sont des petits ARNs non-codants régulant l’expression des gènes. Dans le projet principal de ma Thèse, nous avons identifié par un miRNome en RT-qPCR, 14 miRs différentiellement exprimés dans les fibroblastes HGPS. Certains d’entre eux appartenant à la région 14q32.2-14q32-3, sont surexprimés à cause de modifications chromatiniennes. Nous avons ensuite étudié l’impact de la surexpression des miR-376a-3p et miR-376b-3p sur la régulation de l’autophagie. L’inhibition de ces miRNAs entraine une augmentation du niveau d’autophagie, associée à une diminution de la progérine. Une 2ème étude miRNome réalisée en NGS, a permis d’identifier d’autres miRNAs potentiellement impliqués dans la Progeria. Dans un second projet, nous avons analysé l’expression des lamines de type A dans des cellules tumorales métastatiques issues d’épanchements pleuraux de patients atteints d’adénocarcinome bronchique. Nous avons démontré que la diminution d’expression de la lamine A chez un groupe de patient est corrélée à un mauvais pronostic. Cette diminution pourrait être due à miR-9 qui cible directement l’ARNm de la prélamine A. Ces travaux de Thèse illustrent le rôle fondamental des lamines et suggère une place importante des miRNAs dans la physiopathologie de ces 2 types de laminopathies / Laminopathies are diseases linked to lamins. Progeria (HGPS) is a genetic disease caused by a mutation in LMNA gene leading to an abnormal protein called progerin. It accumulates in nucleus and causes cell damages leading to a premature senescence. Patient die around 14 years old. miRNAs are small non coding RNA regulating gene expression. In my main project, I identified with a miRNome approach by RT-qPCR, 14 differentially expressed miRNAs in dermal HGPS fibroblasts. We demonstrated that the overexpression of the miRNAs that belong to the 14q32 region was caused by chromatin modulation. Next, we studied the role of miR-376-3p and miR-376b-3p on autophagy and demonstrated that the inhibition of their overexpression increases autophagy and decreases progerin. A second miRNome by NGS identified other miRNAs potentially linked to HGPS pathophysiology. In my second project, I studied lamins expression in metastatic cells from pleural effusion of lung adenocarcinoma patients. We showed that the decreased expression of lamin A in a group of patients was correlated with poor prognosis, which could be linked to miR-9 expression. This thesis illustrates the fundamental role of lamins and suggest the role of miRNAs in the pathophysiology of this to types of laminopathies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

INTRODUCCIÓ: Des de 1989, un ampli cos de literatura s'ha ocupat dels aspectes biològics i alteracions de p53, romanent encara un cert grau de controvèrsia pel que fa al valor com a factor pronòstic en càncer colorectal, de l'estudi d'aquesta proteïna. P21 i p27, inhibidors de CDKs, han estat també objecte de diverses publicacions referents al seu valor com a factors pronòstics al llarg de la passada dècada, amb conclusions igualment diverses. Ciclina E, cofactor de CDK2 durant la fase G1 del cicle, es troba expressada a uns nivells molt superiors als fisiològics en molts tumors, però la seva expressió en còlon s'ha associat més aviat a estats d'infiltració incipient que no pas a estadis avançats. El seu valor com a factor pronòstic és, novament, motiu de controvèrsia.HIPÒTESI: L'estudi d'algunes proteïnes reguladores del cicle cel.lular en càncer colorectal, ha d'aportar informació pronòstica complementària a l'estadi de Dukes.OBJECTIUS: Identificació de perfils fenotípics en l'adenocarcinoma colorectal que puguin aportar informació pronòstica suplementària a l'estudi anàtomo-patològic habitual, mitjançant l'anàlisi integrat de mutacions de p53, del polimorfisme AA 72 Arg/Pro de p53, i d'expressió de p53, p21, p27 i ciclina E. MATERIAL I MÈTODES: Sèrie consecutiva de 185 adenocarcinomes colorectals ressecats electivament. Anàlisi mutacional del exons 5-8 de p53 mitjançant PCR-SSCP i seqüenciació, i del polimorfisme Arg/Pro 72 de p53 mitjançant PCR- SSCP. Anàlisi mitjançant immunohistoquímica (IHQ) sobre seccions parafinades, de sobreexpressió de p53 i d'expressió de p21, p27 i ciclina E. Repetició de la IHQ de p21 i p27 en un array tissular.RESULTATS. Major freqüència de mutacions de p53 en els tumors GG (arg72) que en els CC (pro72) o GC. Les mutacions de p53 localitzades en L3 i LSH es van associar a pitjor supervivència global(p = 0.04; ajustada per Dukes < 0.01). La sobreexpressió IHQ de p53 va correlacionar amb l'estadi de Dukes, però no amb supervivència. Els tumors amb mutacions de p53 inhibidores de p73 van mostrar en l'anàlisi multivariant una pitjor supervivència global que els tumors amb altres mutacions (p= 0.04). En el grup de tumors GG, els carcinomes amb aquestes mutacions van tendir a una pitjor supervivència global (p= 0.08). Dins del grup de tumors GG, aquells amb mutació en L3 i LSH van mostrar al ajustar per Dukes, pitjor supervivència global que els tumors amb p53 salvatge o amb altres mutacions (p= 0.005). Aquesta correlació no es va observar dins el grup GC-CC. L'expressió IHQ de p21 es va associar a millor supervivència. També es va associar a millor supervivència lliure de malaltia en el grup de pacients que havien rebut tractament amb quimioteràpia. Els carcinomes amb mutació hot spot en L3 i LSH de p53 i pèrdua d'expressió p21 van mostrar pitjor supervivència global, fins i tot ajustant per Dukes. L'expressió de p27 va correlacionar amb millor supervivència global però de manera dependent a l'estadi de Dukes.Els carcinomes amb alt percentatge d'expressió de ciclina E van mostrar inesperadament, millor supervivència global. A més, els carcinomes amb expressió dèbil de ciclina E en més d'un 12% de nuclis van mostrar millor supervivència que aquells amb expressió nul.la o molt intensa d'aquesta proteïna.Finalment, en una sèrie de 146 adenocarcinomes curativament ressecats, l'anàlisi dels codons 245, 248, 273 i 282 de p53, i l'anàlisi IHQ de p21, es van mostrar com uns bons marcadors de supervivència global.CONCLUSIONS: En càncer colorectal, l'anàlisi dels codons 245, 248, 273 i 282 de p53, aporta informació pronòstica sobre supervivència global independent de l'estadi de Dukes.L'estudi de p21 mitjançant IHQ en carcinomes colorectals completament ressecats, és un mètode d'anàlisi senzill i econòmic, amb valor pronòstic independent de l'estadi de Dukes, i podria ser utilitzat en la pràctica assistencial. / ASSESSMENT OF THE VALUE AS PROGNOSTIC MARKERS IN COLORECTAL CANCER OF P53, P21, P27 AND CYCLIN E.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: The value as prognostic markers in colorectal cancer of p53, p21, p27 and cyclin E still remains controversial.HIPOTHESIS: The study of some proteins that regulate the cell cycle should give prognostic information, complementary to the Dukes' stage.AIMS: To identify phenotypical profiles in the colorectal adenocarcinoma which could give prognostic information complementary to the usual pathological study, by means of an integral analysis of p53, with assessment of mutations, protein overexpression and the AA 72 Arg/Pro polymorphism of p53, and expression analysis of p21, p27 and cyclin E. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A consecutive series of 185 colorectal cancers electively extirpated. Mutational analysis of the exons 5-8 of p53 by means of PCR-SSCP and sequencing and of the 72 Arg/Pro polymorphism by PCR-SSCP. Expression analysis by means of immunohistochemistry (IHC) on whole paraffin sections of p53, p21, p27 and cyclin E. Repetition of the IHC analysis of p21 and p27 on tissue-array sections.RESULTS: It was observed a greater frequency of p53 mutations in GG tumours (Arg 72) than in CC or GC tumours. The mutations of p53 located at the L3 loop and the LS &#61537;-helix motif was associated to a clear worse overall survival (p<0.01 adjusted by Dukes).P53 overexpression assessed by means of IHC correlated with Dukes'stage but not with survival. The tumours with mutations of p53 which inhibit p73 showed, at the multivariant analysis, a worse overall survival than the tumours with other p53 mutations (p= 0.04). Among the GG tumours, those with these mutations of p53 tended to a worse overall survival (p= 0.08). Also, in the group of GG tumours, those with p53 mutations at L3 and LSH showed, adjusting by Dukes, a worse overall survival than the tumours with other p53 mutations or wild type protein.P27 expression correlated with a better overall survival but in a depending mode with the Dukes'stage.Finally, in a series of 146 curatively extirpated tumours, the analysis of the codons 245, 248, 273 and 282, and the analysis of p21 expression by means of IHC showed to be good prognostic markers for overall survival.CONCLUSIONS: In colorectal cancer, the study of the codons 245, 248, 273 and 282 of p53, and the analysis of p21 expression, give prognostic information about overall survival independently of the Dukes'stage.

Pathological changes to tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, mechanics, and architecture promote cancer progression and metastasis. Exploration of tumor-ECM interactions using in vitro matrix-mimetic culture systems has largely been restricted to naturally-derived matrix materials that permit limited experimental control. Such study of a novel lung adenocarcinoma model in Matrigel™ (MG) has suggested key matrix cues that mediate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis. In this thesis work, synthetic hydrogel scaffolds based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) featuring high experimental control and modular bioactivity were used to study matrix influences on the EMT-prone model line 344SQ. Encapsulation of 344SQ cells in PEG hydrogels modified for cell adhesivity and cell-mediated enzymatic degradability induced formation of lumenized, polarized spheres mimicking the epithelial phenotype observed in three-dimensional MG. Tuning matrix stiffness, adhesive ligand concentration, and ligand spatial presentation altered epithelial morphogenesis. Exploration of the EMT phenotype of PEG-encapsulated 344SQ cells revealed TGFβ-initiated changes in morphology, polarity, expression levels of EMT marker genes and their epigenetic controller, and the organization of cell-secreted ECM. Notably, a potent role for adhesive ligand was illuminated as matrices with low PEG-RGDS concentration even in the absence of TGFβ induced formation of spheres with a post-EMT phenotype by several of these measures. A matrix-invasive phenotype was also revealed by altering matrix structural parameters and tuned with incorporation of an alternative protease-cleavable sequence. Finally, the influence of cell-cell contacts was explored by covalent incorporation of cadherin proteins into the matrix. Matrix-tethered E- and -N-cadherin affected 344SQ sphere development in otherwise non-cell-adhesive matrices and modulated polarity and the degree of TGFβ response. Further, in 344SQ with a knockdown of the essential polarity-determining protein Scribble, matrix-tethered cadherin influenced the formation of a phenotype with partially normalized epithelial polarity with corresponding differences in membrane localization of cell-expressed E-cadherin. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the utility of the more experimentally controllable PEG system in studying ECM influences on cancer progression with findings providing greater insight into stromal biomechanical, biochemical, and cell-cell factors that mediate lung adenocarcinoma epithelial morphogenesis and EMT. These contributions help advance the state of the field towards a goal of developing new metastasis-targeting cancer therapeutics.

In recent decade, lung cancers had the highest incidence and mortality rate among all cancers in Taiwan. Among lung cancers, adenocarcinoma was the most frequent type. The chemotherapy was still the main choice in treating lung cancer by the mechanism of destroying DNA, but the response rate kept low. The function of DNA repair makes cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy. Therefore, this study focused on the effect of cancer cell growth by silencing Mre11. The first part of this study was to make a tissue microarray consisting of adenocarcinoma from 57 patients. Immunohistochemistry staining for Mre11 was done. The correlation of Mre11 expression and clinical variables with survival was analyzed. The second part was tried to knockdown Mre11 in A549 cell by shRNA. Another A549 cell line containing empty vector was selected as control group. These cell lines were then ready for XTT method, soft agar colony formation assay, flow cytometry and nude mice assay. In the clinical data, the absence of lymph node and distant site metastasis were good prognosis factor for longer survival. Although the high expression on Mre11 had longer survival, this variable was not a true independent factor. On XTT method and soft agar colony formation assay, the A549 cells with Mre11 knockdown had a slower proliferation and fewer colony numbers, respectively. The cell cycle demonstrated an elevated G0/G1 and S phase and depressed G2/M phase in A549 cells with Mre11 knockdown. The tumor arising from A549 cells with Mre11 knockdown in the nude mice also had a smaller size. Based on the above study, inhibition of Mre11 may result in a reduction of tumor growth and provide another choice to treat lung cancer.