Over-expression of CDK1 in human endometrial cancer.
Gynecologic cancers including cancers of the endometrium are a clinical problem (1, 2, 3, 4). We mined published microarray data (5, 6) to discover genes associated with endometrial cancers by comparing transcriptomes of the normal endometrium and endometrial tumors from humans. We identified the cell cycle component cyclin-dependent kinase 1, encoded by CDK1, as among the most differentially expressed genes, transcriptome-wide, in cancers of the endometrium. CDK1 was expressed at significantly higher levels in endometrial tumor tissues as compared to the endometrium. Importantly, high primary tumor expression of CDK1 was correlated with worse overall survival in patients with endometrial cancer. Together, the data reveal over-expression of CDK1 in human endometrial cancer and describe specific activation of the cell cycle in cancers of the endometrium.