Differential requirement for focal adhesion kinase signaling in cancer progression in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate model.
Increasing evidence indicates that adhesion signaling plays an important role in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase that regulates adhesion-dependent cell signaling and has been implicated in mediating steps in cancer progression and metastasis in many human cancers, including prostate. We have investigated the role of FAK in the appearance of adenocarcinoma (atypical epithelial hyperplasia of T antigen) and neuroendocrine carcinomas in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) model using either Cre-mediated recombination to genetically ablate FAK expression or pharmacologic inhibition of FAK activity with the small-molecule inhibitor, PF-562,271. We provide evidence that loss of FAK or its inhibition with PF-562,271 does not alter the progression to adenocarcinoma. However, continued FAK expression (and activity) is essential for the androgen-independent formation of neuroendocrine carcinoma. These data indicate that integrin signaling through FAK is an important component of cancer progression in the TRAMP model and suggest that treatment modalities targeting FAK may be an appropriate strategy for patients with castrate-resistant cancer.
Slack-Davis
Jill K
JK
Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA.
Hershey
E Daniel
ED
Theodorescu
Dan
D
Frierson
Henry F
HF
Parsons
J Thomas
JT
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction
D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases