Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in American men and the second greatest cause of cancer-related death. Development of effective therapeutic modalities for the treatment of this cancer relies heavily on understanding the molecular alterations that result in the initiation and progression of the tumorigenic process. Increasing evidence indicates that impaired ability to undergo apoptosis plays an important role in the evolution from androgen-dependent to androgen-independent prostate cancer. In this review, we address recent progress toward the central objectives of understanding the molecular events that contribute to prostate cancer progression. We focus on some key regulatory molecules, including the pro-apoptotic regulators p53, PTEN, caspases and Par-4, and the anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2, NF-kappaB and Akt, to discuss their roles in prostate cancer progression and their therapeutic implications in human prostate carcinoma.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
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Review
MeSH terms
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Apoptosis*
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Caspases / genetics
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Caspases / physiology
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Disease Progression
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Humans
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Male
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Mutation
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NF-kappa B / physiology
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PTEN Phosphohydrolase
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Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / genetics
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Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / physiology
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Prostatic Neoplasms / etiology*
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Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
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Prostatic Neoplasms / therapy*
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / physiology
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Receptors, Thrombin / physiology
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Signal Transduction
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism
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Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
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Tumor Suppressor Proteins / physiology
Substances
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NF-kappa B
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
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Receptors, Thrombin
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
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Tumor Suppressor Proteins
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AKT1 protein, human
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Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
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Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases
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PTEN Phosphohydrolase
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PTEN protein, human
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Caspases
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protease-activated receptor 4