Function and Clinical Utility of the HOXB13 Cofactors MEIS1 and MEIS2 in Prostate Cancer Progression
Abstract
As a son and son-in-law of prostate cancer survivors, I am keenly aware of the deficiencies in our ability to treat prostate cancer. Furthermore, the sole purpose of my research program is to develop new ways to combat prostate cancer from early cancer to advanced disease. In particular, there is a dire need to provide clinicians with more options for patients to aid in: (1) whether to pursue surgery, radiation, or active surveillance after an initial diagnosis and (2) what to do when the cancer returns and progresses to metastatic disease. My laboratory has worked to accelerate the discovery of new biomarkers and drugs using bio-informatics; cell biology; publicly available patient-derived gene array datasets; and research collaboration to identify new signaling pathways in prostate cancer that can be translated into biomarkers and drug targets. In our ongoing work, we have used bioinformatic, clinical, and molecular approaches to discover that MEIS proteins mark indolent, less-aggressive prostate tumors, and that MEIS proteins function to block the Androgen Receptor. Furthermore, we have identified drugs that can increase MEIS expression. The work proposed here has three main purposes: 1. To further understand how MEIS proteins block prostate cancer and identify new strategies for detecting indolent prostate tumors and treating advanced prostate cancers. 2. To create new diagnostic tools to reliably detect MEIS in prostate tumors for better staging after diagnosis, which will lead to larger biomarker trials using robust and reliable MEIS detection methods. 3. To conduct preclinical testing of therapies that increase MEIS expression in advanced prostate cancer and create the appropriate tools to objectively characterize and identify agents that could be used for treating patients with metastatic prostate cancer. It is my plan and sincere ambition that completion of the work proposed here represents a significant benefit to prostate cancer patients at both early and advanced stages of disease and also benefits future prostate cancer researchers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 19, 2019
- Source ID
- W81XWH1910476
Entities
People
- Donald Vander Griend
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Illinois at Chicago