APOPTOSIS REGULATING GENES IN PROSTATE-CANCER (REVIEW)

Prostatic adenocarcinoma is emerging as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the male population in the western world. Programmed cel l death (apoptosis) in the prostate is activated by hormone ablation a nd is under the control of several regulating genes including the tumo ur suppressor gene p53 and the proto-oncogene bcl-2. Bcl-2 belongs to a rapidly expanding family of genes which form two functionally antago nistic groups controlling cell death and survival. Apoptosis regulatin g genes appear to play an important role in the development and progre ssion of prostatic adenocarcinoma and offer a potential target for fut ure therapeutic strategies.