PCDH18

Overview

PCDH18 (Protocadherin 18) encodes a member of the protocadherin subfamily of the cadherin superfamily of cell-adhesion molecules. It plays roles in cell-adhesion, migration, and signalling pathways including WNT signalling. In cancer genomics, PCDH18 has been identified as over-expressed in specific molecular subtypes of malignant rhabdoid tumours (MRT).

Alterations observed in the corpus

  • PCDH18 among the most over-expressed genes in mRNA sub-group 2 (cell adhesion/migration, WNT, differentiation) in extra-cranial malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT). PMID:26977886

Cancer types (linked)

  • MRT (Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor): Over-expressed in mRNA sub-group 2 of extra-cranial MRT, a subgroup characterised by cell adhesion/migration and WNT-pathway activity. PMID:26977886

Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity

  • Co-expressed with WNT5A, TCF21, and MEIS1 in mRNA sub-group 2 of extra-cranial MRT, defining a cell-adhesion/migration/WNT/differentiation expression signature. PMID:26977886

Therapeutic relevance

  • No direct therapeutic targeting reported in the corpus.

Open questions

  • Whether PCDH18 over-expression is a driver or passenger event in MRT mRNA sub-group 2 is not established. The sub-group association is derived from an unsupervised clustering analysis and mechanistic causality has not been demonstrated.

Sources

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