Prostate Cell News Volume 2.15 | Apr 29 2011

A High Percentage of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Blood Is Linked to an Increased Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Analyzing data from a nationwide study involving more than 3,400 men, researchers found that men with the highest blood percentages of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have two-and-a-half-times the risk of developing aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer compared to men with the lowest DHA levels. [Press release from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center discussing online prepublication in the American Journal of Epidemiology]

Addition of Atrasentan to Standard Chemotherapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer Shows No Benefit in Phase III Clinical Trial
A Data and Safety Monitoring Committee has determined that patients in a Phase III clinical trial given atrasentan in addition to a standard chemotherapy regimen for advanced prostate cancer did not have longer survival or longer progression-free survival than patients on the same chemotherapy regimen who got a placebo rather than atrasentan. [SWOG Press Release]

Biophysicist Targeting IL-6 to Halt Breast, Prostate Cancer
A biophysicist used a supercomputer to search thousands of molecular combinations for the best configuration to block a protein that can cause breast or prostate cancer. [Ohio State University Press Release]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

DNA Methylation Profiling Reveals Novel Biomarkers and Important Roles for DNA Methyltransferases in Prostate Cancer
Scientists quantitatively profiled 95 primary prostate tumors and 86 benign adjacent prostate tissue samples for their DNA methylation levels at 26,333 CpGs representing 14,104 gene promoters by using the Illumina HumanMethylation27 platform. [Genome Res]

MST1 Is a Multifunctional Caspase-Independent Inhibitor of Androgenic Signaling
Researchers investigated the possibility of a biochemical and functional link between androgen receptor and MST1 signaling. [Cancer Res]

FOXO1 Inhibits Runx2 Transcriptional Activity and Prostate Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion
Investigators show that the forkhead box O (FOXO1) protein, a key downstream effector of the tumor suppressor PTEN, inhibits the transcriptional activity of Runx2 in prostate cancer cells. [Cancer Res]

NANOG Promotes Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics and Prostate Cancer Resistance to Androgen Deprivation
Scientists sought to test the potential pro-tumorigenic functions of NANOG, particularly, in prostate cancer. [Oncogene]

A Potent and Selective Inhibitor of KIAA1363/AADACL1 that Impairs Prostate Cancer Pathogenesis
Researchers show that JW480, and an shRNA probe that targets KIAA1363, reduce monoalkylglycerol ethers and impair the migration, invasion, survival, and in vivo tumor growth of human prostate cancer cell lines. [Chem Biol]

Intravital Imaging of Human Prostate Cancer Using Viral Nanoparticles Targeted to Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptors
Investigators report the stepwise synthesis and characterization of NIR viral nanoparticles targeted to gastrin-releasing peptide receptors that are over-expressed in human prostate cancers. [Small]

Induction of In Vitro and In Vivo NK Cell Cytotoxicity Using High-Avidity Immunoligands Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen in Prostate Carcinoma
Scientists compare the impact of various anti-prostate specific membrane antigen immunoligand formats on the therapeutic efficacy against prostate carcinoma cells by activating NK cells via NKG2D. [Mol Cancer Ther]

Tumor Growth and Metastasis Suppression by Glipr1 Gene-Modified Macrophages in a Metastatic Prostate Cancer Model
Data suggests that this novel gene-modified cell approach is an effective treatment avenue that induces antitumor immune responses in preclinical studies. [Gene Ther]

Expression of NF-κB-Related Proteins and Their Modulation During TNF-α-Provoked Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells
Researchers investigate the activation status of NF-κB-related proteins in human prostate cancerous versus normal epithelium, and the alterations in the NF-κB pathway in relation to cell death in TNF-α-treated LNCaP (androgen-independent) and PC3 (androgen-dependent) prostate cancer cell lines. [Prostate]

Down Regulation of CSL Activity Inhibits Cell Proliferation in Prostate and Breast Cancer Cells
CSL inhibition may provide a more effective mechanism to inhibit Notch-pathway dependent cancer cell proliferation as compared to GSI treatment. [J Cell Biochem]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Adjuvant Androgen Deprivation for High-Risk Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy: SWOG S9921 Study
The SWOG (Southwest Oncology Group) S9921 study randomly assigned 983 men with high-risk features at prostatectomy to receive adjuvant therapy with androgen deprivation alone or in combination with mitoxantrone chemotherapy. [J Clin Oncol]

Serum Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Prostate Cancer Risk: Results from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial
This study examined the associations between inflammation-related phospholipid fatty acids and the 7-year-period prevalence of prostate cancer in a nested case-control analysis of participants, aged 55–84 years, in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial during 1994–2003. [Am J Epidemiol]

BRCA1 Mutations Do Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risk: Results from a Meta-Analysis Including New Data
To better elucidate whether deleterious BRCA1 mutations are involved in the development of prostate cancer, investigators performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of BRCA1 studies on prostate cancer. [Prostate]

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Announces FDA Clearance to Commence Phase I Testing of Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutic OMP-18R5
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the FDA has accepted an IND filing for OMP-18R5, which allows OncoMed to commence Phase I clinical testing. [OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Press Release]

NextGen Sciences Launches Multiplex Protein Plasma Biomarker Assays for Lung and Prostate Cancer
NextGen Group plc announced that its US-subsidiary NextGen Sciences Inc. has launched its plasmalung27 and plasmaprostate21 multiplex protein assays, targeting lung and prostate cancer biomarker discovery and qualification. [NextGen Group plc Press Release]

Active Biotech and Ipsen Enter into a Broad Partnership for the Co-Development and Commercialization of TASQ in Uro-Oncology
Active Biotech AB and Ipsen announced that they have entered into a broad partnership to co-develop and commercialize Active Biotech’s investigational compound Tasquinimod “TASQ”. [Active Biotech AB Press Release]

Executive Director of Vancouver Prostate Center Chosen as ‘Local Hero’ for Contributions to Fight Disease That Affects One in Six Men in Their Lifetime
Steve Jones, President and CEO, Prostate Cancer Canada and members of the business community celebrated Dr. Martin Gleave as a ‘local hero’ for his extraordinary contributions to fight prostate cancer. [Vancouver Prostate Centre Press Release]

Noted Prostate Cancer Specialist Joins Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute
Edwin Posadas, M.D. has joined Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as the clinical director of the Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program in the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Press Release]

da Vinci System Brings Next Generation Robotic-Assisted Surgery To St. Clair Hospital
Surgeons have started using the latest technology, the da Vinci Si, to provide the benefits of robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery to prostate cancer patients. [St. Clair Hospital Press Release]

Scripps Research Wins More than $2 Million to Study Prostate Cancer
The Scripps Research Institute and Tampa’s Moffitt Cancer Center have been awarded more than $2 million to study the formation and progression of prostate cancer. [The Scripps Research Institute Press Release]

A. Alfred Taubman Increases His Support for Medical Science Institute at U-M to $100
A. Alfred Taubman has become the University of Michigan (U-M)’s largest individual donor, with total giving of more than $142 million. [University of Michigan (U-M) Health System Press Release]

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