MammaPrint Interrogates all of the Critical Genomic Pathways Associated with Tumor Progression and the Metastatic Cascade

MammaPrint combines the benefits of fresh tissue along with a biology-driven 70 gene signature to interrogate all of the critical pathways involved in the metastatic process as defined by the Weinberg Criteria.  This is significant as each woman’s cancer biology may have subtle genomic variations.  By covering all of the genes involved in the metastatic process and detecting these subtle individual changes in gene expression, MammaPrint is able to stratify patients into two groups; high-risk and low-risk of recurrence.

As reported in Nature Cell in January of 2009, a gene discoverd by research teams at the New Jersey Cancer Institute and Princeton University known as MTDH or metadherin appears to be associated with a poor prognosis in ~40% of high risk breast cancers. This appears to be  related to metastatic seeding and chemoresistance.  While MTDh is an important gene, little was known about it until recently, and its role unappreciated in 2002 when MammaPrint was first reported

This gene is one of the genes that comprise the MammaPrint signature.  At the time MammaPrint was being developed, MTDH's role was unappreciated, however through the unbiased gene selection process, it was revealed to be significantly prognostic it was, therefore, included in the 70 gene profile. 

Interestingly, had the MammaPirnt developers only looked at the existing literature to develop a candidate gene set, they would have, no doubt, overlooked MTDH and it would not have been part the signature.  Therein lies the value of the science behind MammaPrint.  Only by analyzing all of the critical metastatic pathways is the patient's true risk of recurrence understood.