Chapters authored
The Biological Role of Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer Progression
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men all over the world. Localized cancers in the early stages can be well managed by surgical or radiation therapy. Metastatic prostate cancer is treated with androgen deprivation therapy because androgen signaling is essential to the prostate tumor growth and anti-apoptotic ability. However, resistance develops quickly in the clinical course and leads to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Androgen receptor (AR) functions as a nuclear receptor to facilitate ligand-dependent transcriptional activation in the nucleus. AR interacts with several tissue-specific transcription factors such as forkhead box protein A1 (FOXA1) and regulates epigenetic status by recruiting epigenetic factors. In addition, AR transcriptional activity is modulated by interacting directly or indirectly with non-coding RNAs such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and micro RNAs (miRNAs). Notably, enhanced AR signaling in CRPC has been documented in several studies; however, which of these factors are important for the biological function it remains poorly understood. Here, I review our current knowledge of the mechanistic roles of AR involved in prostate cancer progression and discuss the importance of the prostate cancer-associated signals.
Part of the book: Advances in Testosterone Action