Targeting Quiescence in Prostate Cancer
Abstract
A major problem in prostate cancer is finding and eliminating the non-proliferating or "quiescent" cancer cells. This is because early in prostate cancer, a small number of cancer cells metastasize to other tissues such as the bone, where they can lay dormant for years. Most chemotherapies target the actively dividing cells causing primary tumor shrinkage, but leaving behind the quiescent cancer cells only to seed new, often more aggressive and chemoresistant cancers at a later date. Thus, there is a need for approaches that either target the quiescent cancer cells or force them to divide so that they may be eliminated with current chemotherapies. Here, we propose a research direction that tackles this unmet need by testing, in an animal model, whether reactivating cell division in quiescent cancer cells reduces cancer recurrence and improves treatment outcomes by sensitizing dormant cancer cells to current chemotherapies. If our hypothesis is correct, the long-term impact will be evidence-based support for a new strategy in prostate cancer treatment aimed at decreasing cancer cell quiescence. If our hypothesis is incorrect, this will provide evidence against therapeutic approaches that disrupt cancer cell quiescence. We also propose research to identify the specific genes that promote or inhibit quiescence in prostate cancer cells. In the longer term, this work will provide new molecular targets for drug development that could be used in combination with current chemotherapies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Source ID
- W81XWH1510413
Entities
People
- Laura Buttitta
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Michigan