prostate cancer

Researchers from the Health Sciences Research Center of the University of Beira Interior (CICS-UBI) have evaluated the role of the STEAP1 protein in prostate cancer cells. The STEAP1 protein is overexpressed in prostate cancer cases comparatively to normal tissues, and its role in modulating cell proliferation and cell death has been clarified in this study.

Um grupo de investigadores do Centro de investigação em Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI) avaliou o papel da proteína STEAP1 em células de cancro da próstata. A STEAP1 é uma proteína que está aumentada em casos de cancro de próstata relativamente a tecidos normais, e o seu papel na modulação da proliferação e morte celular foi clarificado neste estudo.

Authors and Affiliations:

Ana Isabel Oliveira1,2*, Ana Xavier-Magalhães^1,2*, Catarina Moreira-Barbosa³, Hugo Magalhães^1,2, Rui Henrique^3,4,5, Carmen Jerónimo^4,5, Bruno M. Costa^1,2.

¹Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;

Authors and Affiliations:

João Lobo ^a,b,c, Ângelo Rodrigues ^a,b,c, Luís Antunes ^d, Inês Graça ^b,e, João Ramalho-Carvalho ^b, Filipa QuintelaVieira ^b,e, Ana Teresa Martins ^a,b, Jorge Oliveira ^f, Carmen Jerónimo ^b,c,*, Rui Henrique ^a,b,c,*

^a Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal

Investigadores do Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto (IPO-Porto) mostraram que a elevada imunoexpressão dos biomarcadores Ki67, EZH2 e SMYD3 em biópsias de cancro da próstata tem impacto prognóstico na sobrevivência dos doentes.

The stem cell factor (SCF)/c-KIT system is involved in the activation of several signal transduction pathways, which culminates in the control of cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and migration in several tissues. The overactivation of c-KIT triggered by several mechanisms has been related to cancer development and progression, mainly leukaemias and gastrointestinal tumours.

The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), whose levels are substantially elevated in several tumour types, represents a major molecular target for the development of new anti-cancer drugs. The synthetic non-steroidal estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) blocks HIF-dependent hypoxic responses, and its administration at low doses prior to chemotherapy represents a promising option to improve the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, DES use is limited by poor water solubility and wide-ranging dose-related toxicities.

O grupo de Epigenética & Biologia do Cancro do Centro de Investigação juntamente com os Serviços de Epidemiologia e Urologia do IPO do Porto e em colaboração com colegas do grupo de Epigenética e Biologia do Cancro do Instituto de Investigação Biomédica de Bellvitge, em Barcelona, Espanha, demonstraram recentemente  num estudo publicado na revista Molecular Cancer, que a metilação aberrante do promotor de alguns microRNAs pode constituir biomarcador de diagnóstico e prognóstico para cancro da Próstata (CaP).

Authors and Affiliations:

João Ramalho-Carvalho^a,b, João Barbosa Martins^a, Lina Cekaite^c,d, Anita Sveen^c,d, Jorge Torres-Ferreira^a, Inês Graça^a,e, Pedro Costa-Pinheiro^a, Ina Andrassy Eilertsen^c, Luís Antunes^f, Jorge Oliveira^g, Ragnhild A. Lothe^c,d, Rui Henrique^a,h,i, Carmen Jerónimo^a,i*