Molecular Mechanism of -Catenin Signaling Pathway Inactivation in ETV1-Positive Prostate Cancers.

In the United States of America, prostate cancer is the second most common age-related cancer among men. African-American men have the highest incidence of, and mortality rate from this disease in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, 29% of all cancer cases and 9% of all cancer deaths are a result of prostate cancer.

Ets Related Gene and Smad3 Proteins Collaborate to Activate Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Mediated Signaling Pathway in ETS Related Gene-Positive Prostate Cancer Cells.

TGF-/Smads signaling plays a significant role in the regulation of growth of normal and prostate cancer cells. Smad proteins function as important mediators of intracellular signal transduction of transforming growth factor- (TGF-). TGF- signaling pathway is known to regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and play a major role in some human diseases and cancers.

Anti-Epileptic Drug Targets Ewing Sarcoma.

Ewing Sarcoma (ES) is a rare form of bone cancer that most commonly affects children and adolescents. Chromosomal translocations are fundamental to the development of Ewing Sarcoma, linked to the changes in gene expression affecting transcription factors. Histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate transcription by modifying acetylation of both histones and transcription factors.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors, valproic acid and trichostatin-A induce apoptosis and affect acetylation status of p53 in ERG-positive prostate cancer cells.

An ETS family member, ETS Related Gene (ERG) is involved in the Ewing family of tumors as well as leukemias. Rearrangement of the ERG gene with the TMPRSS2 gene has been identified in the majority of prostate cancer patients. Additionally, overexpression of ERG is associated with unfavorable prognosis in prostate cancer patients similar to leukemia patients.