Is expression of beta-dystroglycan reduced or absent in many human carcinomas?
There is loss or marked reduction of beta-dystroglycan expression (by immunohistochemistry) in the vast majority of human cancers surveyed. Since beta-dystroglycan is postulated to have a tumour suppressor effect, this loss may have important functional significance.
DGKα is involved in HCC progression by activation of the MAPK pathway. DGKα could be a novel target for HCC therapeutics as well as a prognostic marker.