Microgenomics in ameloblastoma

Ameloblastoma, the second most common tumor arising from odontogenic epithelium of the jawbones, is characterized by a benign but locally invasive behavior with a high risk of recurrence. RNA was isolated and amplified from laser capture microdissected (AutoPix(TM)) epithelial cells from five samples of formalin fixed decalcified paraffin embedded, (FFDPE) ameloblastoma tissue. The aminoallyl antisense RNA (aa-aRNA) was hybridized to 40,000-oligonucleotide expression microarrays and compared with Human Universal Reference RNA.; Of the 210 significantly over-expressed genes, many were previously associated with tumor development, including Ras, cMic, Fos, WNT10A, FGF13 and T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia 1. Other genes associated with tumor progression were also noted including Integrins, IL-17, Spondin 2 and Beta adrenergic receptor kinase 2. Finally, polymerase (DNA directed) gamma 2, a DNA-repair gene product, was also up-regulated in ameloblastoma.