ROMO1 – a potential immunohistochemical prognostic marker for cancer development

Abstract

Abstract Reactive Oxygen Species Modulator 1 (ROMO1) was first discovered in 2006, and its structural characteristics were elucidated by Lee et al. in 2018. This novel protein resides in the inner mitochondrial membrane and exerts control over the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by modulating membrane potential and permeability. ROS, in turn, plays a multifaceted role in cancer progression: at low concentrations, it serves as a critical player in cell signaling, influencing tumor suppression and immune system maintenance; at moderate concentrations, it promotes cancer progression, while high concentrations induce apoptosis. ROMO1, as a key regulator of intracellular ROS, significantly impacts cancer cell invasion and growth. Existing literature demonstrates that overexpression of ROMO1 is strongly associated with lymph node metastasis and a dismal prognosis in cancer patients, making it a promising prognostic factor for solid malignant tumors. ROMO1 can be investigated by various methods including immunohistochemistry (IHC) which is one very suitable method in our opinion.