title: Heparin affin regulatory peptide is a key player in prostate cancer cell growth and angiogenicity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The development and growth of human prostate cancer is mediated by many tumor cell-derived growth factors. Heparin affin regulatory peptide (HARP) seems to be involved in the progression of several tumors of diverse origin. In the present study, we sought to determine if HARP is implicated in human prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  An antisense strategy for inhibition of HARP expression in the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP was used to study the role of HARP on cancer cell growth, migration, and angiogenic potential in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exogenous human recombinant HARP was mitogenic for LNCaP cells. By decreasing the expression of endogenous HARP, we found that HARP was essential for LNCaP cell migration, as well as anchorage-dependent and independent growth. Endothelial cell functions in vitro and blood vessel formation in vivo induced by LNCaP cells were also inhibited when HARP expression was diminished.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HARP seems to act as an important regulator of diverse biological activities in human prostate cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatziapostolou
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delbe
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Katsoris
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Polytarchou
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Courty
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C066845:pleiotrophin