Genes regulated by the androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells

Dawn Bradley’s research focuses on the key role of the male hormone androgen in prostate cancer, the second leading cause of death for men with cancer in North America. Prostate tumours initially need androgen to grow and proliferate, but tumours can progress to the point where they survive without androgen. Conventional treatments are ineffective when prostate tumours become androgen-independent. Bradley is investigating the process by which the androgen receptor regulates various genes. Using microarrays, a technology that allows thousands of genes to be examined in a single experiment, she hopes to identify genes that are regulated by the androgen receptor and other genes that progress to androgen-independence. Her research will improve understanding of how prostate cancer cells become androgen-independent and provide potential targets for anti-cancer therapies.