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Survival and Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells in the Bone: Role of the Alpha-Receptor for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in Supporting Early Metastatic Foci
Book chapter

Survival and Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells in the Bone: Role of the Alpha-Receptor for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in Supporting Early Metastatic Foci

Qingxin Liu, Yun Zhang, Danielle Jernigan and Alessandro Fatatis
Signaling Pathways and Molecular Mediators in Metastasis, pp 261-275
18 Oct 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2558-4_11

Abstract

Circulate Tumor Cell Metastatic Lesion Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Cell Zoledronic Acid
Skeletal dissemination is by far the most feared complication of prostate cancer and the main cause of patients’ demise. Today, 85% of patients are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the absence of clinically evident secondary tumors. However, a significant number of these patients will eventually develop the advanced form of the disease and present with skeletal metastases. A definitive, curative treatment for bone metastatic disease is still an unmet clinical need and the current standard of care relies on merely palliative measures. There is vast consensus on the fact that cancer cells that spread to the skeleton need to find favorable local conditions to survive and grow. Indeed, those cells that fail to receive appropriate support will either remain dormant or undergo cell death, thereby exerting a negligible clinical impact on patients’ quality of life and overall survival. Significant efforts have been made to identify the cellular events as well as signaling molecules and mechanisms implicated in the growth of cancer cells in the bone marrow. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have investigated the role exerted by the receptors for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGFRs) in promoting skeletal metastases. Interestingly, the alpha isoform of PDGFR (PDGFRα) appears to be directly implicated in the initial colonization of the skeleton, a step of metastatic progression that might have been significantly overlooked.

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