Amplification of the cyclin D1 gene is a reliable prognostic factor and post-translational modification of this gene may play a functionally important role in development of primary esophageal cancer.
To further address the roles of cyclin D1 in growth control and tumorigenesis, we have overexpressed an antisense cyclin D1 cDNA construct, either constitutively or inducibly, in the HCE7 human esophageal cancer cell line in which cyclin D1 is amplified and expressed at high levels.
These results suggest that cyclin D1 may play an important role in carcinogenesis and that cyclin D1 overexpression may be a useful prognostic factor in esophageal cancer.