Expression of nuclear notch3 in pancreatic adenocarcinomas is associated with adverse clinical features, and correlates with the expression of STAT3 and phosphorylated Akt

Abstract

The presence of Notch3 in tumour nuclei is likely to represent functional activation of the protein, and is clearly linked to a more aggressive tumour phenotype. The correlation with STAT3, pSTAT3 and pAkt expression has not previously been described and the concurrent intracellular localisation of these proteins suggests a functional relationship between them.