Cyclo-Oxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of Prostaglandin (PG) from arachidonic acid. COX-2 has been found to be up-regulated in several epithelial malignant neoplasms, including colorectal, esophageal, pancreatic, and head and neck cancers. COX-2 has been shown to be a powerful predictor of cancer behavior in colon cancer and might play an important role in epithelial carcinogenesis. In the prostate, COX-2 could also play a role as a tumor marker and as a target of potentially effective therapies to treat and/or prevent prostate cancer. Recent data indicate that COX-2 expression is significantly higher in prostate cancer. Furthermore, selective inhibition of COX-2 induces characteristic morphological features of apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines.
The goals of this research are to:
- Determine if the expression of COX-2 is increased in prostate cancer and if it correlates with the histological grade of the tumor
- Determine the effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors on the growth patterns of established prostate cancer cell lines and primary cultures of epithelial benign and malignant prostate cancer specimens
- Determine if COX-2 expression in archival prostate cancer specimens correlates with overall cancer-specific and disease-free survival
- Establish the potential role of selective COX-2 inhibitors as therapeutic agents in prostate cancer
Principle Investigator: Elie Benaim, M.D.
Return to Basic Science Research in Urologic Oncology
For more information about the Department of Urology, contact:
Phone: 214-648-4765, FAX: 214-648-4789
Mailing Address: 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., J8.148, Dallas, TX 75390-9110
