Scientists Zero in on Prostate Cancer Cause

The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate mutate and begin to multiply without kontrole.Periferne zone prostate cancer usually develops first. These small clumps of cancer cells attach to otherwise healthy prostate. When and if the cells start to proliferate, they can spread to the surrounding prostate tissue. At the end of the tumor may invade nearby organs such as seminal vesicles, bladder or rectum. Or tumor cells can travel to the lymphatic system and bloodstream. Often those with prostate cancer have no symptoms. Another experience similar symptoms to those with BPH, including problems with sexual function.

When you are looking for a cure for prostate cancer, researchers have focused on the "androgen receptors". Androgens are hormones (like testosterone) that are important for normal male sexual development before birth and during puberty. Androgen receptors enable the body to respond appropriately to the hormone. Typical treatment includes cancer drug that inhibits the production of androgens. However, according to researchers, this type of treatment usually becomes less effective over time, as well as cancer cells resistance to strengthen and multiply.

This is exciting news, then, to read about some cutting-edge research being done in Michigan Center for translational pathology. There, scientists believe they have discovered the main cause of prostate cancer - and it's very little to do with androgen receptora.Glavni cause of cancer may in fact be a combination of two genes. When these two genes fuse, it sets the stage for abnormal growth of prostate cells.

The research team compared the gene fusion in prostate cancer switch razvoj.Rak started with an initial combination of genes with prostate cancer gena.Istraživači were able to use high-tech genetic mapping techniques to discover that, after fusion, androgen receptors get blocked, however, cutting the normal growth of prostate cells and allows the cancer to spread.

The research team concluded that their study demonstrates a fundamental problem in the presence of prostate cancer gene fusion, and not the androgen receptor. In some contexts, androgen signaling is actually a good thing, but the presence of gene fusion blocks androgen receptor signaling. This in turn changes the normal development of prostate cells.

It will be interesting to see if scientists can use this discovery to press forward and find a cure for prostate cancer. It may be a way to stop the gene fusion from happening, and thus protects healthy prostate gene from cancer-causing genes. And if it could be figured out for cancer, maybe it could give clues on how to prevent other cancers as well.