The focus of the laboratory is two fold: To study tyrosine kinases and pharmacologic agents which may potentially alter their activity and to study, in human prostate cancer patients, pharmacologic regimens that can potentially lead to improved therapeutic outcome. 1) We have identified suramin as an agent which alters tyrosine phosphorylation and other growth-associated events in a wide variety of epithelial carcinoma cells. In addition, we have identified human B cell tumor cell lines as being particularly susceptible to suramin-induced growth inhibition. 2) We have identified protamine sulfate and pentosan, in addition to suramin, as being potent inducers of tyrosine phosphorylation in an early B lymphocyte cell line. 3) We have identified an interaction between transforming src-family kinases and a tyrosine phosphorylated protein. 4) We have identified a novel transforming mutation for lck. 5) We have identified aminoglutethimide as a particularly active agent in suramin-pretreated prostate cancer patients.
