Biological markers of prostate cancer shed light on cancer burden faced by African-American men
November 29, 2007Researchers based at Tulane University report the discovery of biological markers of prostate cancer which are involved in the growth of tumor cells, shedding light on the genetic basis for the prostate cancer burden faced by African-American men. The research is being presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, being held November 27-30.
In prostate tumors samples taken from African-American and Caucasian men, the researchers found that two proteins are overproduced in 90 percent of tumor cells from the African-Americans studied. These structural proteins, called hnRNP-H1 and SAFB-2, in part comprise the nuclear matrix, the mesh of molecules that serves as the supporting “skeleton” of the cell’s nucleus.
“We have employed a unique functional genomics approach to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the disproportionate incidence and mortality among African-American men,” said Asim B. Abdel-Mageed, D.V.M, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Molecular Oncology Research program in the Department of Urology at Tulane University School of Medicine.
Currently, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examinations are the two most common methods of detecting prostate cancer. African Americans are typically diagnosed with prostate cancer more frequently and later – when the cancer is at an advanced stage and more aggressive – than any other ethnic group in the United States. According to Abdel-Mageed, earlier detection of prostate cancer might decrease this health disparity. “The target genes may have potential clinical utility as biomarkers or prognostic indicators of disease progression in African-American men independent of a PSA screen,” Abdel-Mageed said.
With funding from the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society, the researchers compared prostate cancer cells from 50 African-American and Caucasian men, aged 50 to 60, matched so that each group comprised similar tumor grades. Using DNA sequencing and screening techniques to determine the genetic activity of these tumor cells, the researchers demonstrated the increased production of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H1 (hnRNP-H1) and scaffold attachment factor B2 (SAFB-2) in African-American men as opposed to Caucasians.
In addition to their role as potential blood-borne biomarkers for disease screening, the researchers are excited by the role these proteins play in chemical pathways that control disease progression. “Both of these genes share many structural and functional similarities, including possession of messenger RNA binding sites that could allow them to regulate how other genes are read from the DNA,” said Abdel-Mageed.
Through related means, Abdel-Mageed says, these proteins are somehow involved in the relationship between hormones and prostate cancer progression. The researchers determined that hnRNP-H1 protein, in particular, binds to and activates the androgen receptor (AR), a nuclear protein that serves as an intermediate that allows male hormones from the bloodstream, such as testosterone, to activate genes encoded in the DNA. Testosterone and other hormones have been shown to influence prostate cancer growth, Abdel-Mageed says.
“Similarly, SAFB-2 was shown to have a role in regulation of hormone-related genes. “Based on these data, we believe their selective expression may represent a novel a mechanism for disease progression and development of hormone refractory disease in African Americans,” said Abdel-Mageed.
Source: American Association for Cancer Research
-
Lessening the impact of cancer-causing hormones
4 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
-
Physics research suggests new pathways for cancer progression
2 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Heart disease may be a risk factor for prostate cancer
Feb 08, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Flipping a light switch in the cell: Quantum dots used for targeted neural activation
Feb 08, 2012 |
5 / 5 (6) |
1
-
Drugs targeting chromosomal instability may fight a particular breast cancer subtype
Feb 06, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (31) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (3) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
We the immaterial soul
6 hours ago
-
Is Everyday Technology Killing Us?
Feb 08, 2012
-
Exercise and weight loss
Feb 08, 2012
-
Why do we have head aches? Our brains can't feel anything.
Feb 07, 2012
-
"The end of diseases" by David Agus, interview from Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Feb 04, 2012
-
Oncolytic adenovirus
Feb 04, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - Medical Sciences
More news stories
Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...
23 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
1
FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain, reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice
Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' findings, published in the journal Science, show t ...
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Feb 09, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (53) |
21
|
Green tea found to reduce disability in the elderly
(Medical Xpress) -- A lot of research has been done over the past several years looking into the health benefits of green tea. As a result, scientists have found that regular consumption of the beverage leads ...
Teen school drop-outs three times as likely to be on benefits in later life
Teen school drop-outs are almost three times as likely to be on benefits in later life as their peers who complete their schooling, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Feb 06, 2012 |
not rated yet |
12
To perform with less effort, practice beyond perfection
Whether you are an athlete, a musician or a stroke patient learning to walk again, practice can make perfect, but more practice may make you more efficient, according to a surprising new University of Colorado Boulder study.
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Feb 09, 2012 |
4.4 / 5 (15) |
6
|
Google might launch Drive for cloud storage soon
(PhysOrg.com) -- Google's next big move, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a cloud storage service called Drive. Hardly first to the plate, Google is simply catching up to introducing its cloud reposi ...
Latin America mining boom clashes with conservation
Latin America is experiencing a mining boom as prices rise fuelled by a hike in global demand, but the region is also being hit by a wave of violent protests, strikes and rallies by environmentalists.
Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...
Love a click away in Indonesia's Twitter Republic
He was a geeky kid from Yogyakarta, she a glamorous city girl in Jakarta. In a country with one of the world's most vibrant social networking scenes they fell in love on Twitter.
GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear
A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.
Europeans protest controversial Internet pact
Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.