Gene expression profile changes in epithelial ovarian carcinomas using tumor-specific cDNA microarray

To identify new bio-markers as well as potential targets for new drugs for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), we compared the gene expression profiles of cancer tissues from 25 EOCs with human ovarian surface epithelium (HOSE) using in-house cDNA microarray specified to EOC. Based on a comprehensive method and information from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP), the cDNA library was constructed. After excluding the overlapping clones, 768 spots were included in the array. We identified the genes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) (30 up-regulated and 34 down-regulated) that are differentially expressed in EOC tissues. To confirm the expression data, we performed real time RT-PCR experiments. Using microdissected EOC tissues and cell lines, we investigated the expression status of the NET-1 gene, clusterin gene, and actin-binding LIM protein 1. The information provided here will be useful for identifying genes whose products might serve as molecular signatures for the biomakers of EOCs.