Characterisation of a novel prostate-expressed kallikrein-like protease and its target proteins

新型前列腺表达激肽释放酶样蛋白酶及其靶蛋白的表征

• 批准号: nhmrc : 101202
• 负责人: Prof Judith Clements
• 金额: $ 48.31万
• 依托单位: Queensland University of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: NHMRC Project Grants
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2000-01-01 至 2004-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://researchdata.edu.au/characterisation-novel-prostate-target-proteins/101130
• 关键词: Characterisation; novel; prostate; expressed; kallikrein

Prostate disease is common in most men in later life and can affect their quality of life adversely. The primary conditions are benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH and prostate cancer. Symptoms of BPH affect between 50-70% of men over the age of 50 and prostate cancer is now the most common internal cancer diagnosed in men. More importantly, prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths. We don't yet fully understand exactly how these diseases occur but the male sex hormones or androgens are known to play an important role. Prostate specific antigen or PSA has become widely accepted as a useful tool in helping to detect prostate cancer and then monitoring the disease. PSA, which is regulated by androgens, is an enzyme that either activates or breaks down many proteins that are important in both the normal function of the prostate and in the development of cancer. PSA belongs to a family of enzymes called the kallikreins. We have recently discovered a new member of this family that, like PSA, is also found in the prostate. We have called this new enzyme, K6, as it is the sixth member of this family to be identified. So , this project is about characterising this new K6 enzyme, finding out if it is also found in the prostates of men with BPH and prostate cancer, whether it is also regulated by androgens and what sort of proteins it may activate in these diseases. We will also compare these findings with what we know about PSA in these diseases. From these studies, we will not only understand more about this K6 enzyme and how it might be important in the prostate but also how it relates to PSA. These findings may ultimately lead to some new approaches in the detection and treatment for BPH and prostate cancer.

前列腺疾病在大多数男性的晚年生活中很常见，并可能对他们的生活质量产生不利影响。原发性疾病是良性前列腺增生或BPH和前列腺癌。50-70%的50岁以上男性都有前列腺增生的症状，前列腺癌现在是男性中最常见的内部癌症。更重要的是，前列腺癌是癌症死亡的第二大常见原因。我们还不完全了解这些疾病是如何发生的，但已知男性性激素或雄激素起着重要作用。前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）已被广泛接受为一种有用的工具，有助于检测前列腺癌，然后监测疾病。PSA受雄激素调节，它是一种酶，可以激活或分解许多蛋白质，这些蛋白质对前列腺的正常功能和癌症的发展都很重要。PSA属于一种叫做钾溶酶的酶家族。我们最近发现了这个家族的一个新成员，它和PSA一样，也存在于前列腺中。我们把这种新酶命名为K6，因为它是这个家族的第六个被确定的成员。所以，这个项目是关于表征这种新的K6酶，发现它是否也存在于前列腺增生和前列腺癌男性的前列腺中，它是否也受到雄激素的调节，以及它在这些疾病中可能激活哪种蛋白质。我们还将这些发现与我们所知道的PSA在这些疾病中的作用进行比较。从这些研究中，我们不仅会更多地了解K6酶以及它在前列腺中的重要性，还会了解它与PSA的关系。这些发现可能最终导致BPH和前列腺癌的检测和治疗的一些新方法。