The cellular and molecular biological role of activin-A, a molecule recently found to be localized immunohistochemically and transcribed in a cell line of prostatic cancer, DU-145, will be studied in vivo and in vitro using techniques of in situ hybridization, Northern blotting analysis, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, we will study the detailed biology of prostatic activin- A/inhibin in rats during development, under hormonal manipulation, as well as in primary cultures of epithelial cells or stromal cells because inhibin/activin-A was immunohistochemically localized in intact rat prostate. We will also attempt to investigate prostatic activin-A in cell lines of other human prostatic cancers. From the data obtained with all of these approaches, we will have a baseline of fundamental information about the role of activin-A/inhibin in prostatic cancer. This knowledge will enable us to explore the role of activin-A/inhibin as growth factors in growth and differentiation of the prostate and will be clinically useful in designing new approaches to treating prostatic cancer.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 11 publications
