The ability of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to predict tumor volume and stage in patients with prostate cancer would be improved if factors regulating its production and clearance were better defined. A thorough understanding of the pharmacokinetics (regulation of production, metabolism, and excretion) of PSA has been precluded, however, by the absence of an in vivo animal model. The purpose...

1α-25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (1-25D), an active hormonal form of Vitamin D3, is a well-known chemopreventive and pro-differentiating agent. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of several prostate cancer cell lines. Gap junctions, formed of proteins called connexins (Cx), are ensembles of cell-cell channels, which permit the exchange of small growth regulatory molecules between adjoining cells. Cel...

BACKGROUND In order to develop experimental immunotherapy for prostate and breast cancer it is of outmost importance to have representative target cell lines that through human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules present relevant levels of peptides from tumor-associated antigens for cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) recognition. METHODS We sequenced the HLA-A and HLA-B loci of eight commonly...

The Ca -permeable channel TRPM8 is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. We have investigated the intracellular location of TRPM8 and its role as a Ca -permeable channel in an androgen-responsive and an androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cell line. We report evidence from immunofluorescence experiments that in the androgen-responsive LNCaP cell line, the...

Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK, TNFSF12) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. TWEAK activates the Fn14 receptor, and may regulate cell death, survival and proliferation in tumor cells. However, there is little information on the function and regulation of this system in prostate cancer. Fn14 expression and TWEAK actions were studied in two human pro...

The Ca -permeable channel TRPM8 is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. We have investigated the intracellular location of TRPM8 and its role as a Ca -permeable channel in an androgen-responsive and an androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cell line. We report evidence from immunofluorescence experiments that in the androgen-responsive LNCaP cell line, the...

The ability of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to predict tumor volume and stage in patients with prostate cancer would be improved if factors regulating its production and clearance were better defined. A thorough understanding of the pharmacokinetics (regulation of production, metab olism, and excretion) of PSA has been precluded, however, by the absence of an in vivo animal model. The purpos...

The anticancer agents from plant sources usually exert their action through a wide range of mechanisms. As part of our studies of plants for new anticancer agents with emphasis on Thymelaeaceae family, we examined the cytotoxicity and anti-tumor activity of the water extract of D. mucronata leaves against induced breast tumor in rats. In the current study, we were interested to obtain some know...

The Ca(2+)-permeable channel TRPM8 is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. We have investigated the intracellular location of TRPM8 and its role as a Ca(2+)-permeable channel in an androgen-responsive and an androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cell line. We report evidence from immunofluorescence experiments that in the androgen-responsive LNCaP cell lin...