The researchers found that the protein NSD2 “alters the function of the androgen receptor, an important regulator of normal prostate development.”
The study showed that the binding of the androgen receptor to NSD2 causes rapid cell division and growth, which leads to prostate cancer, which may pave the way for a new therapeutic approach to targeting prostate cancer.
The study results “shed light on a previously poorly understood phenomenon: the normal function of the androgen receptor in determining prostate development,” by stimulating the cessation of cell growth and maintaining a normal prostate.
But in cancer, the androgen receptor does the opposite, stimulating cells to continue growing and driving the development of cancer.
In the study, the researchers began looking for cofactors involved in the androgen receptor and its relationship to prostate cancer. They examined the enhanceosome, a group of proteins (including transcription factors and other genetic factors) that assemble in an enhancer region of DNA and help regulate gene expression.
They compared this to the so-called neo-enhanceosome, a similar mechanism, but where cancer-causing transcription factors find their way inside, reorganizing the precise assembly and driving the expression of cancer-causing promoters.
The androgen receptor is normally located along a specific line of sites within DNA. When NSD2 is present, it rearranges where the androgen receptor “enhanceosome” is located on the DNA, placing it next to sites occupied by known cancer-causing genes and factors.
“This is the mechanism surrounding genes that we know are involved in the development of prostate cancer, including androgen receptors, ERG and FOXA1. They all use this mechanism to regulate gene expression,” said study co-senior author Arul M. Chinnaiyan, MD, director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology. “We are now working to target genes indirectly by affecting these genetic components, such as NSD2.”
The researchers found that NSD2 is expressed in prostate cancer cells, but not in normal prostate cells. Researchers previously knew that NSD2 was involved in metastatic prostate cancer, but this is the first study to show that it is essential for the early stages of prostate cancer progression.
The research team used multiple methods to turn off the expression of NSD2 in prostate cancer cells, and found that doing so returned the cells to a more normal state, which slowed the growth and spread of cancer cells, but did not eliminate the cancer.
The researchers also found that a related protein called NSD1 works alongside NSD2. They found a compound that “restricts both NSD1 and NSD2” that successfully destroyed prostate cancer cell lines, specifically targeting the cancer cells without affecting normal cells.
Further work is needed to develop the compound so that it can be applied to animal models.
The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Source: Medical Express
#Discovery #responsible #development #prostate #cancer #early #stages
2024-09-10 16:40:24
HRR genes prostate cancer
Table of Contents
Unraveling the Mysteries of Prostate Cancer: The Key Role of NSD2
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer affecting men worldwide. Despite significant research, the underlying mechanisms of prostate cancer development and progression remain poorly understood. Recent studies have shed light on the crucial role of NSD2, a protein that alters the function of the androgen receptor, a critical regulator of normal prostate development. In this article, we will delve into the latest research on NSD2 and its implications for prostate cancer treatment.
The Androgen Receptor and Prostate Cancer
The androgen receptor plays a vital role in normal prostate development, stimulating the cessation of cell growth and maintaining a healthy prostate. However, in cancer, the androgen receptor does the opposite, stimulating cells to continue growing and driving the development of cancer. Researchers have long sought to understand the mechanisms underlying this transformation.
NSD2: A Novel Player in Prostate Cancer
Recent studies have identified NSD2 as a key protein involved in prostate cancer progression [[1]]. NSD2 was found to be expressed in prostate cancer cells, but not in normal prostate cells. Moreover, researchers discovered that NSD2 is essential for the early stages of prostate cancer progression [[2]]. This finding has significant implications for the development of new therapeutic approaches to targeting prostate cancer.
The NSD2-Androgen Receptor Connection
The study revealed that the binding of the androgen receptor to NSD2 causes rapid cell division and growth, leading to prostate cancer. NSD2 rearranges the location of the androgen receptor “enhanceosome” on the DNA, placing it next to sites occupied by known cancer-causing genes and factors [[3]]. This mechanism is used by genes involved in the development of prostate cancer, including androgen receptors, ERG, and FOXA1.
Targeting NSD2: A New Therapeutic Approach
The research team found that turning off the expression of NSD2 in prostate cancer cells returned the cells to a more normal state, slowing down growth. This suggests that targeting NSD2 may be an effective way to combat prostate cancer. As study co-senior author Arul M. Chinnaiyan, MD, stated, “We are now working to target genes indirectly by affecting these genetic components, such as NSD2.”
Conclusion
The discovery of NSD2’s role in prostate cancer progression has opened up new avenues for research and treatment. By targeting NSD2, researchers may be able to develop more effective therapies for prostate cancer. Further studies are needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying NSD2’s role in prostate cancer and to explore its potential as a therapeutic target.
References:
<a href="https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/84/6Supplement/7546/741512/Abstract-7546-Targeting-NSD2-to-reverse-lineage”>[1]
<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Expression-of-NSD2-in-prostate-cancer-and-metastases-a-Immunostaining-of-Nsd2-and-otherfig4_329349030″>[2]
How does NSD2 influence the activity of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer development and progression?
Unraveling the Mysteries of Prostate Cancer: The Key Role of NSD2
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer affecting men worldwide. Despite significant research, the underlying mechanisms of prostate cancer development and progression remain poorly understood. Recent studies have shed light on the crucial role of NSD2, a protein that alters the function of the androgen receptor, a critical regulator of normal prostate development. In this article, we will delve into the latest research on NSD2 and its implications for prostate cancer treatment.
The Androgen Receptor and Prostate Cancer
The androgen receptor plays a vital role in normal prostate development, stimulating the cessation of cell growth and maintaining a healthy prostate. However, in cancer, the androgen receptor does the opposite, stimulating cells to continue growing and driving the development of cancer. Researchers have long sought to understand the mechanisms underlying this transformation.
NSD2: A Novel Player in Prostate Cancer
Recent studies have identified NSD2 as a
