Biomarkers in the Detection of Prostate Cancer in African Americans
Abstract
This grant focuses on identifying molecular features of prostatic adenocarcinomas (PrCa) from African Americans (AAs) which we hypothesize may differ from the molecular features of PrCas from European Americans (EAs). Of note are those molecular characteristics which may be associated with aggressiveness of PrCas; hence, the differential expression of molecules may, in part, explain why AAs tend to have more aggressive PrCa than EAs. Also, we hypothesize that PrCas generate localized field effects that modify molecularly uninvolved prostate glands even though they appear to be histopathologically normal and unchanged. The field effects may vary with distance from foci of PrCa and may include epigenetic silencing of specific genes. Because AAs more frequently select radiation instead of radical surgery, less tissues have been available to study PrCa in AAs. Thus, this project uses nitrocellulose blots (tissue prints) of biopsies of the prostate as a source of RNA, DNA and proteins to identify molecular features of PrCas and of uninvolved prostate glands that differ racially. In addition, racial admixtures based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are used to define more accurately the racial ancestry of patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA610695
Entities
People
- Sandra M. Gaston
- William E. Grizzle
Organizations
- University of Alabama