TY - JOUR T1 - SPARC is Expressed in Human Uveal Melanoma and its Abrogation Reduces Tumor Cell Proliferation JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 3059 LP - 3064 VL - 29 IS - 8 AU - SHAWN C. MALONEY AU - JEAN-CLAUDE MARSHALL AU - EMILIA ANTECKA AU - MARIA EUGENIA ORELLANA AU - BRUNO F. FERNANDES AU - CLAUDIA MARTINS AU - ENZO CASTIGLIONE AU - SEBASTIAN DI CESARE AU - PATRICK LOGAN AU - MIGUEL N. BURNIER, JR. Y1 - 2009/08/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/8/3059.abstract N2 - Background: Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been shown to play an integral role in the progression of numerous malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of SPARC in uveal melanoma (UM). Materials and Methods: SPARC expression was assessed in UM cell lines using RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Small interfering RNA directed against SPARC was used to transfect each of the cell lines, which were subsequently run in proliferation assays. SPARC expression was further investigated in 19 cases of human UM and 11 primary and 8 metastatic tumors from a rabbit xenograft model. Results: The cell lines transfected with SPARC siRNA showed a significant decrease in proliferation compared to controls. All cases of human uveal melanoma demonstrated positive staining for SPARC as did all primary and metastatic tumors from the xenograft model. Conclusion: SPARC may represent a novel target to inhibit growth of UM. ER -