Caspace 10 gene analysis and gen expression level assessed by caspace 10 cDNA level in pancreatic cancer patients

Pancreatic cancer is one of the cancer types with the highest mortality rate. Five-year survival rate is less than 5%. Pancreatic cancer can develop because of de nova or inherited gene mutations. Together with oncogenic K-ras and tumor suppressor genes (p53, DPC4, p16 and BRCA2) are associated with the development of pancreatic cancer. P53 normally regulates the course of the cell cycle. In particular, the differentiated cell, due to the changing environment (or over expression of some gene products), can cause an abnormal condition that may trigger cell divisioın and proliferation which are surveiled by p53. P53 gene product is crucial for regulating the extrinsic apoptosis in which the caspase 10 is involved. Pancreatic cancer has frequently mutated p53 tumor suppressor gene which have been reported in more than %50 of the cases. Pancreatic cancer development also shows familial inheritance of about 10-20%. Caspases that are involved in extrinsic and intrinsic programmed cell death, are large family of protease enzyme, is crucial to ensue for controlling cancer development. Caspase 10 is the proapoptotic caspase triggering downstream members of the caspases to ensue cell death. Caspase 10 can become effective through its transmembrane receptor or by other cytotoxic agents. Caspase 10 gene is located on Chromosome 2q33. In this study, it is hoped to determine caspase 10 mutations as well as caspase 10 mRNA gene expression level in pancreatic cancer tissues in relation to pancreatic cancer development.