Heparin affin regulatory peptide is a key player in prostate cancer cell growth and angiogenicity.
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.
Hatziapostolou
Maria
M
Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Greece.
Delbe
Jean
J
Katsoris
Panagiotis
P
Polytarchou
Christos
C
Courty
Jose
J
Papadimitriou
Evangelia
E
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
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C066845:pleiotrophin