Mechanism of Tumor Metastasis Suppression by the KAI1 Gene
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in the United States. It represents approximately 7% of all cancer deaths and ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death in males. The majority of prostate cancer patients succumb to their malignancy as a result of metastatic invasion, while few patients die from their primary neoplasm. Despite significant improvement in surgical techniques and chemotherapies, none of the current medical technologies cure the metastatic disease. The KAI1 gene was originally isolated as a prostate-specific tumor metastasis suppressor gene. Based on our preliminary data, we hypothesize that the KAI1 protein on tumor cells interacts with gp-Fy on the endothelial cells, which activates a signal pathway of the KAI1 molecule, and that this activation eventually leads to cell growth arrest of tumor cells. To test this hypothesis, we will examine whether the interaction of KAI1 and gp-Fy leads to suppression of tumor metastasis in vivo (Task 1), and identify specific peptide sequences that activate KAI1 and to assess the efficacy of the peptides on tumor growth in an animal model (Task 2). Our long-term goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanism of tumor suppression by the KAI1 gene and to develop an effective therapeutic method which restores the function of the KAI1 gene in the metastatic tumor cells.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA452469
Entities
People
- Kounosuke Watabe
Organizations
- Southern Illinois University