Grant: Project Grant

The well-known risk factors of prostate cancer are ethnicity and family history. However, only a very few of the genes (<5%) that are altered in prostate cancer are responsible for inherited prostate cancer. On the other hand, old age is a major risk factor that contributes to cancer development through increasing the exposure to environmental risk factors such as unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, infections and exposure to carcinogens. These environmental factors are thought to promote cancer development by inducing inflammation. However, the underlying mechanisms are not yet well understood. To bridge this knowledge gap, we have generated a mouse model that lacks the SOCS1 protein, a key regulator of inflammation and a tumor suppressor protein. This mouse model shows pre-cancerous changes in the prostate and develop prostate cancer upon bacterial infection of the prostate gland. We will characterize the molecular changes in the prostate glands of these mice to understand how SOCS1 maintains the normal prostate tissue and prevents prostate cancer development. The knowledge gained from this study will lead to better disease management and prevention strategies for prostate cancer.