Waqas Arshad Mughal, Sobia Khalid, Nadia Naseem, Ah Nagi.
SPARC in Breast Carcinomas: a Critical Review.
Biomedica Jan ;36(2):109-17.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world according to World Health Organization statistics. Among Asian countries, Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer. The normal breast development is interplay between various hormones and transcription factors. Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor are being utilized for the targeted therapy of breast cancers. However, there is further need of research to improve the treatment strategies in this regard. Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) is a new biomarker and therapeutic target in breast cancer as well as other tumor types. It`s a matricellular protein whose main function is to mediate interactions between cells and their extracellular surrounding during morphogenesis, tissue remodeling and angiogenesis. Therefore, SPARC enables tumor cells to interact with stromal cells and the extracellular matrix. Regarding breast carcinoma, SPARC has been identified as an important negative regulator of tumor characteristics associated with poor prognosis.

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