Prostate Development and Cancer
Section: Section of Gene Function and Regulation
Urogenital Sinus stained with p63 and laminin
The prevalence of prostate cancer has highlighted the importance of understanding how the prostate develops and functions and what steps are required for tumour formation and progression. Many features of prostate organogenesis are paralleled in tumour formation and developmental pathways have been shown to be active in prostate cancer. Therefore understanding the development of the normal prostate will provide insight into neoplastic transformation and may help in the identification of novel predictive biomarkers and the development of drug therapies and combinations to treat prostate cancer. Using genetic in vivo models and in vitro cell and organ culture techniques we are studying the role of genes such as SOX9 in prostate cancer development and cancer. We are also analysing the functional role of the cancer related genes such as β-catenin and the tumour suppressors PTEN and BRCA2 in prostate biology.
External Funding: NCRI, CRUK
In the Section of Gene Function and Regulation
