HER-2/neu receptor in prostate cancer development and progression to androgen independence.
Development of prostate cancer and progression to androgen-independent disease is correlated with increased expression of growth factors and receptors capable of establishing autocrine and/or paracrine growth-stimulatory loops. A thorough review was made of the current literature and recent abstract presentations at scientific meetings focusing on the role of the HER-2/neu (c-erbB2) receptor in prostate cancer and the potential clinical usefulness of its specific inhibitors. In the past 10 years, conflicting results on HER-2/neu expression in prostate cancer have been reported. More recently, four studies have shown experimental evidence of HER-2/neu in the development of prostate cancer and, more specifically, in the progression to a hormone-refractory clinical behavior. Furthermore, it has been proposed that HER-2 family and androgen receptors function synergistically in the absence of androgen, which suggests a cross-talk between the HER-2/neu and androgen receptor pathways. Finally, clinical trials are in progress in prostate cancer patients to test novel agents that selectively interfere with HER-2/neu activity.
Di Lorenzo
Giuseppe
G
Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Molecolare e Clinica, Università degli Studi Federico II, Naples, Italy. peppinos74@yahoo.it
Autorino
Riccardo
R
De Laurentiis
Michele
M
Cindolo
Luca
L
D'Armiento
Massimo
M
Bianco
Angelo Raffaele
AR
De Placido
Sabino
S
D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D020239:Receptor Cross-Talk / Q000187:drug effects; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D000728:Androgens; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases