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Proteus Syndrome Research Paper

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Proteus syndrome (PrSy) (OMIM:176920) is a disorder characterized by asymmetric overgrowth of the parts of the body :cerebriform connective tissue nevi; epidermal nevi; vascular malformations; and dysregulated adipose tissue. Its etiology is unknown ,this leading to frequently misdiagnosed of this disorder (Biesecker, 2005). Many types of neoplasms have been associated with PS, including ovarian, testicular, meningeal, and parotid tumors. Some tumors are rare in the general population under 20 years of age, e.g., ovarian cystadenoma, and monomorphic adenoma of parotid gland. Sometimes multiple tumors have been recorded in same patient. Lipomas are common but other neoplasms occur with low frequency. Most neoplasms originate before 20 years …show more content…

At least one mutation in the AKT1 gene has been found to cause Proteus syndrome, which is a rare condition characterized by overgrowth of the bones, skin, and other tissues. This genetic change is not inherited from a parent; it arises randomly in one cell during the early stages of development before birth. This mutation changes a single amino acid in AKT1 kinase. It replaces the amino acid glutamic acid with the amino acid lysine at protein position 17 (written as Glu17Lys or E17K).The Glu17Lys mutation leads to the production of an overactive AKT1 kinase the abnormally active protein prevent a cell from its ability to regulate its own growth, leading to abnormal growth and division. When cells grow and divide, some cells will have the mutation and other cells will not have. This mixture of cells with and without a genetic mutation is called mosaicism. Studies suggest that an AKT1 gene mutation is more common in groups of cells that experience overgrowth than in the parts of the body that grow normally (Carpten et al., 2007,Lindhurst et al., 2011).
The mutation abnormally activates AKT1 kinase, allowing cells to grow and divide without control . This abnormal cell proliferation leads to the development of cancerous tumors. Although the Glu17Lys mutation has been reported in only a few types of cancer, increased activity (expression) of the AKT1 gene is found in many types of cancer (Lindhurst et al., 2011; Carpten …show more content…

This gene provides information for making a protein that regulates the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway. The TGF-β pathway regulates many processes, including cell growth and proliferation, the process by which cells mature to carry out special functions (differentiation), cell motility, and apoptosis. By attaching to certain proteins , the SKI protein blocks TGF-β signaling. The SKI protein is found in many cell types allover the body and appears to have a role in the development of many tissues, including the skull, other bones, skin, and brain.
SKI gene mutations involved in Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome alter the SKI protein. The altered protein is not able to attach to proteins in the TGF-β pathway and block signaling. Excess TGF-β signaling changes the regulation of gene activity and prevent the development of many body systems, including the bones and brain, resulting in the wide range of signs and symptoms of Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome (Doyle et al.,

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