title: Regulation of local steroidogenesis in the brain and in prostate cancer: lessons learned from interdisciplinary collaboration.
abstract: Sex steroids play critical roles in the regulation of the brain and many other organs. Traditionally, researchers have focused on sex steroid signaling that involves travel from the gonads via the circulation to intracellular receptors in target tissues. This classic concept has been challenged, however, by the growing number of cases in which steroids are synthesized locally and act locally within diverse tissues. For example, the brain and prostate carcinoma were previously considered targets of gonadal sex steroids, but under certain circumstances, these tissues can upregulate their steroidogenic potential, particularly when circulating sex steroid concentrations are low. We review some of the similarities and differences between local sex steroid synthesis in the brain and prostate cancer. We also share five lessons that we have learned during the course of our interdisciplinary collaboration, which brought together neuroendocrinologists and cancer biologists. These lessons have important implications for future research in both fields.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 37289, USA; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada. Electronic address: hfokidis@rollins.edu.
authors.forename: H Bobby
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Fokidis
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Adomat
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
authors.forename: Geetanjali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kharmate
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hosseini-Beheshti
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada; Department of Urological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada.
authors.forename: Emma S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Guns
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. Electronic address: ksoma@psych.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Kiran K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Soma
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: Backdoor pathway; Cholesterol; DHEA; Estradiol; Exosomes; GnRH; Neurosteroid; Songbird; Steroid profiling; Testosterone