Elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer cells expressing mutant p53 is associated with tumor metastasis.

The underlying basis for rising levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer is not fully understood, but attention has turned to the possibility that loss of normal p53 function might be directly involved. We have investigated the relationship between p53 function and PSA expression using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Three prostate cancer-derived p53 mutants (F134L, M237L, R273H) were introduced into LNCaP prostate cancer cells and stable transfectants established.