We have focused the combined experiences and techniques of pathology, cell biology and molecular biology on the problem of prostate carcinogenesis. Using human tissue specimens, prostate cell lines, and normal and transfected cell lines injected experimentally into immunodeficient mice, we will explore the roles of the extracellular matrix proteins, cytoskeleton, the plasma membrane associated integrins, and the multigene family of metalloproteinases and their tissue specific inhibitors. The long term goal of the research is to define the critical events responsible for prostatic carcinoma dissemination so that criteria might be defined to allow accurate identification of the biologically more aggressive tumors. The benefit of this research would be: 1) an increased understanding of the basic biology of neoplastic invasion, 2) a more rational approach to selection of therapy, and 3) the discovery of new approaches aimed at preventing invasion.
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