NELL-1 expression in tumors of cartilage.

Shen, Jia; LaChaud, Gregory; Shrestha, Swati; Asatrian, Greg; Zhang, Xinli; Dry, Sarah M; Soo, Chia; Ting, Kang et al. · J Orthop · 2015

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

NELL-1 is a novel osteochondral differentiation factor protein with increasing usage in tissue engineering. Previously, we reported the expression patterns of NELL-1 in bone-forming skeletal tumors. With increasing interest in the use of NELL-1 protein, we sought to examine the expression of NELL-1 in cartilage-forming tumors. Immunohistochemical expression was examined in human pathologic specimens. Consistent NELL-1 overexpression across all cartilage-forming tumors was observed. Similar degrees of expression were observed in enchondroma, chondrosarcoma, and chondroblastic osteosarcoma. NELL-1 expression did not significantly vary by tumor grade. In summary, NELL-1 demonstrates reliable and consistent expression across cartilage-forming skeletal tumors.