Abstract
A number of studies have indicated that Nurr1, which belongs to a novel class of orphan nuclear receptors (the NR4A family), is important for carcinogenesis. Here we investigated expression of Nurr1 protein in benign and malignant human prostate tissues and association with clinicopathologic features using immunohistochemical techniques. Moreover, we also investigated the ability of Nurr1 to influence proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells using small interfering RNA silencing. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of Nurr1 protein was higher in prostate cancer tissues than in benign prostate tissue (P < 0.001), levels being positively correlated with tumor T classification (P = 0.003), N classification (P = 0.017), M classification (P = 0.011) and the Gleason score (P = 0.020) of prostate cancer patients. In vitro, silencing of endogenous Nurr1 attenuated cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. These results suggest that Nurr1 may be used as an indicator for prostate cancer progression and be useful for novel potential therapeutic strategies.
Highlights
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-associated death among men in the USA (Siegel et al, 2012)
Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of Nurr1 protein was higher in prostate cancer tissues than in benign prostate tissue (P < 0.001), levels being positively correlated with tumor T classification (P = 0.003), N classification (P = 0.017), M classification (P = 0.011) and the Gleason score (P = 0.020) of prostate cancer patients
There is one study showing that the cytoplasmic mislocalization of Nurr1 protein is associated with cancer progression (Inamoto et al, 2010)
Summary
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-associated death among men in the USA (Siegel et al, 2012). The incidence of prostate cancer in Asian countries, while still lower than in Western nations, is increasing rapidly due to a more westernized lifestyle (Namiki et al, 2010). Important issues in the care of patients with prostate cancer are how to screen and diagnose prostate cancer earlier, and how to determine a therapeutic strategy based on outcome prediction. Very few biomarkers of prostate cancer, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA), have been successfully implemented into clinical practice (Bjartell et al, 2011; Shariat et al, 2011; Zhou et al, 2012). It is essential to seek new valuable biomarkers for diagnosis, disease monitoring, prognosis and development of new targeted therapies
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