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1: Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2006;9(1):83-91.Click here to read Links

Brn-3a neuronal transcription factor functional expression in human prostate cancer.

Diss JK, Faulkes DJ, Walker MM, Patel A, Foster CS, Budhram-Mahadeo V, Djamgoz MB, Latchman DS.

Medical Molecular Biology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK. j.diss@ich.ucl.ac.uk

Neuroendocrine differentiation has been associated with prostate cancer (CaP). Brn-3a (short isoform) and Brn-3c, transcriptional controllers of neuronal differentiation, were readily detectable in human CaP both in vitro and in vivo. Brn-3a expression, but not Brn-3c, was significantly upregulated in >50% of tumours. Furthermore, overexpression of this transcription factor in vitro (i) potentiated CaP cell growth and (ii) regulated the expression of a neuronal gene, the Nav1.7 sodium channel, concomitantly upregulated in human CaP, in an isoform-specific manner. It is concluded that targeting Brn-3a could be a useful strategy for controlling the expression of multiple genes that promote CaP.

PMID: 16276351 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]