Significance of the integrin beta4 in the human prostate cancer

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In this study, we hypothesized that integrin β4 (β4) may promote the progression of the human prostate cancer. To examine the hypothesis, we studied first, the role of β4 in the human prostate cancer cells, DU145 and LNCap. Second, we tested the expression of β4 and other molecules, which were concerned to β4, in the human prostate cancer tissues. In the human prostate cancer cells, β4 bonded ErbB2 and c-Met and made the cells increase proliferation and invasion, and decrease to get into apoptosis in vitro by reinforcing tyrosine-phosphorylation of ErbB2 and c-Met. β4 also increased the size of the xenograft under the skin, in vivo. Immunohistochemical staining of β4 on human prostate cancer tissues revealed that positive expression of β4 was found more than half of the samples. Interestingly, many of β4 positive cancer cells also expressed ErbB2 and c-Met. These results indicate that β4 may promote the progression of human prostate cancer by cooperating with ErbB2 and Met signaling.