Transcriptome studies reveal altered signaling pathways in cervical cancer

Abstract

Transcriptome analysis provides a global idea of the molecular mechanisms affected in different pathologies. Characterization of over- or under-expressed genes constitutes an initial step in this type of analysis. The integration of the information acquired by these global expression profiles regarding signaling pathways or organized modules that work according to specific cellular responses has made it possible for us to understand the development and progression of almost every type of neoplasia. In the case of cervical cancer, transcriptome studies have allowed us to comprehend the viral-mediated carcinogenic process, i.e., human papillomavirus (HPV). In spite of the great progress that has been accomplished regarding radiotherapy and chemotherapy, its impact in cervical cancer in limited; approximately 40% of the patients develop resistance to the conventional treatment schemes, and the disease will eventually recur, leading to the patient's death. For this reason, knowing which signaling pathways present altered expression in this neoplasia opens a window of opportunity for those patients whose tumors display certain resistance to conventional treatment, further progression or even recurrence. In this chapter, we will summarize the main signaling pathways that are found to be altered in this neoplasia, pathways that have been described in various works in which the cervical cancer transcriptome was analyzed.