A novel potential biomarker for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumours has been discovered. Levels of a protein called progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) have been shown to be raised in a number of different human cancers; however, the roles of PGRMC1 in renal cancer are not clear and merit further study. In the current study, PGRMC1 levels were found to be increased nearly 4-fold in RCC tumours compared to normal tissue and nearly twice compared to tissue from a healthy person. Raised PGRMC1 level was related to the degree of tumour malignancy and overall survival of RCC patients. The researchers suggest that PGRMC1 is a novel potential biomarker and therapeutic target for RCC.

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