Molecular biology of progression of prostate cancer

Despite the clinical importance of prostate cancer, the molecular mechanism s underlying the development and progression of prostate cancer are poorly understood. The lack of knowledge on the mechanisms has probably been one o f the most important reasons why no new treatment modalities have been deve loped to cure the disease. Recent studies, especially those performed by co mparative genomic hybridization, have revealed the frequent chromosomal alt erations that most likely harbor the genes critical for the progression of prostate cancer. Such genetic aberrations include losses of 8p, 10q, 16q, a nd 13q as well as gains of 7p, 7q, 8q, and Xq. Unfortunately, the target ge nes for these alterations are, in most of the cases, not known. We have rec ently identified the androgen receptor (AR) gene as a target gene for the X q12 amplification found in one-third of the hormone-refractory prostate can cer. The findings suggest that the AR gene amplification and overexpression is involved in the emergence of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.