The role of the cytokine receptor gp130 in prostate cancer

Funded Activity Summary

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the Western world. Neuroendocrine cells may play an important role in the development of these cancers, but their biology is essentially uncharacterized. Activation of the cell-bound protein gp130 results in neuroendocrine differentiation, growth and chemotherapeutic drug resistance of prostate cancer cells. We will use gp130-dependent differentiation to understand how neuroendocrine cells influence normal and cancerous prostate cells, and to identify neuroendocrine-cell specific genes that may be of diagnostic or therapeutic benefit in prostate cancer. Gp130 can be activated by a group of hormones called the interleukin-6 type cytokines in the presence of certain cell-bound proteins (receptors). If these receptors are inappropriately expressed in the prostate, inappropriate activation of gp130 could occur resulting in prostate cancer cell growth or neuroendocrine differentiation. If we can determine that these receptors are expressed in prostate cancer, but not in non-cancerous prostate, this would have diagnostic or therapeutic benefit.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2001

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $437,545.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Biochemistry And Cell Biology Not Elsewhere Classified

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

cytokine receptor | neuroendocrine differentiation | paracrine stimulation | progression | prostate cancer

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