Scaffold protein MAPK8IP2 expression is a robust prognostic factor in prostate cancer associated with AR signaling activity.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-8-interacting protein 2 (MAPK8IP2) is a scaffold protein that modulates MAPK signal cascades. Although MAPK pathways were heavily implicated in prostate cancer progression, the regulation of MAPK8IP2 expression in prostate cancer is not yet reported. We assessed MAPK8IP2 gene expression in prostate cancer related to disease progression and patient survival outcomes.

[PI3K/p110β-specific inhibitors in castration-resistant prostate cancer].

Advanced prostate cancer, especially at the castration-resistant stage, remains incurable clinically and, therefore, urgently requires new therapeutics for the patients. PI3K is a family of critical cell signal transduction molecules and their over-activation is an important factor in cancer development and progression. It has been demonstrated that class IA PI3K p110 is drastically overexpressed in prostate cancer and involved in androgen receptor-mediated gene expression and castration-resistant progression and regarded as a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer.

[Glycogen synthase kinase3 and prostate cancer: An update].

Glycogen synthase kinase3 (GSK3α and GSK3β) are serine/threonine protein kinases acting on numerous substrates and involved in the regulation of various cellular functions such as their proliferation, survival, glycogen metabolism, and autophagy. Accumulating evidence indicates that the expression of GSK3α is increased mainly in androgendependent while that of GSK3β in androgenindependent prostate cancer, and that GSK3β is also involved in the regulation of the transactivation of the androgen receptor (AR) and growth of prostate cancer. Animal experiments have proved that some GSK3 inhibitors, such as lithium, can significantly suppress tumor growth in different animal models of prostate cancer.

[Updated roles of adrenergic receptors in prostate cancer].

Adrenergic receptors are members of the G-protein coupled receptor superfamily. Recent studies revealed that these adrenergic receptors are playing an important role in the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer cells. The expression of adrenergic receptors rises significantly in prostate cancer cells and tissues.

[Both CK2 catalytic subunits involves in androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer cells].

Objective: To explore the roles of different casein kinase 2 (CK2) catalytic subunits in androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer cell lines.

Methods: Prostate cancer cell lines were maintained.Immunofluorescent staining was performed to determine AR nuclear translocation in PC-3/AR cells with R1881 pretreatment and luciferase gene reporter assay used to determine AR transactivation in LNCaP cells.

[Research progresses on the role of cell autophagy in cancer].

Autophagy is a vital basic phenomenon that widely exists in eukaryotic cells. As one type of programmed cell death, autophagy has gained much more attention in the past several years. Recent evidences suggest that the alterations in autophagy are associated with the genesis and development of cancers.

[Association of mating type switching/sucrose non-fermenting complex with prostate cancer].

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling by the mating type switching/sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) complex is a basic biological event in the body, which is required for all the key processes involved in DNA metabolism such as gene expression, DNA replication, repair, chromosomal recombination and mitosis. In the past few years, increasing evidence supports a crucial role of this complex in prostate cancer development and progression via multiple ways, such as cell cycle regulation, androgen receptor pathway and DNA methylation. The present paper briefly reviews the recent studies on the association between the SWI/SNF complex and prostate cancer.

[Anti-apoptotic effect of the androgen receptor in human prostate cancer].

Prostate cancer is one of the common cancers in old men. Androgen ablation is a major option for the treatment of the metastatic diseases. However, most of the cancers progress to a more aggressive stage, so-called androgen-independent (or hormone refractory) relapse beyond any cure.

Dual androgen-response elements mediate androgen regulation of MMP-2 expression in prostate cancer cells.

Aim: To characterize the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 promoter and to identify androgen response elements (AREs) involved in androgen-induced MMP-2 expression.

Methods: MMP-2 mRNA levels was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). MMP-2 promoter-driven luciferase assays were used to determine the fragments responsible for androgen-induced activity.