'Creeping tumour cells' image by Dr Osama Sharaf Eldin
A study led by UCD Conway Institute researchers provides new insights into changes in prostate cell behaviour that may lead to tumour development. The results of the study could provide important targets for the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.
The researchers found that low tissue oxygen levels, a natural feature of the aging prostate, led to changes in gene expression in prostate cells. In these low tissue oxygen conditions, the prostate cells became more resistant to the natural process of cell death and had an increasing ability to migrate or invade neighbouring tissue. The conditions also caused the secretion of chemical messengers that are believed to be involved in the growth and survival of prostate tumour cells.
The study published in the scientific journal, Human Molecular Genetics, was led by Conway Fellow, Dr Amanda McCann, and involved collaborators in UCD Conway Institute as well as teams in St Vincent’s University Hospital , The National Centre for Medical Genetics and Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute.
Dr Jenny Watson, lead author on the publication, commented on the significance of understanding the mechanisms behind these changes in prostate cells brought on by low tissue oxygen levels. ‘The identification of these factors contributing to the initial development of prostate cancer represents important targets for early detection and manipulation in early stage disease”.
The research was funded by the Health Research Board and was supported by the UCD Seed Funding Scheme.
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