AUTHOR=De Mattia Elena , Canzonieri Vincenzo , Polesel Jerry , Mezzalira Silvia , Dalle Fratte Chiara , Dreussi Eva , Roncato Rossana , Bignucolo Alessia , Innocente Roberto , Belluco Claudio , Pucciarelli Salvatore , De Paoli Antonino , Palazzari Elisa , Toffoli Giuseppe , Cecchin Erika TITLE=SMAD3 Host and Tumor Profiling to Identify Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients at High Risk of Poor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.778781 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.778781 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=
Identifying patients at risk of poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is an emerging clinical need in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). SMAD3 is a key player in the chemoradio-resistance phenotype and its expression is both constitutive and locally induced. The aim was to investigate both host (genetic polymorphisms) and tumor SMAD3 profiling to predict response to nCRT. In a group of 76 LARC patients, SMAD3 and phosphorylated-SMAD3 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in preoperative tumor tissue. In an expanded study group (