Molecular genetics of prostate cancer

Despite the substantial clinical importance of prostate cancer, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of the disease are poorly understood. The aim of molecular genetics is to reveal the genetic alterations and genes that are involved in disease processes. Linkage analysis have already implicated four chromosomal loci that may harbour prostate cancer susceptibility genes. In addition, chromosomal alterations in prostate tumors have been studied using several techniques, such as comparative genomic hybridization. These analyses have indicated that losses of chromosomes 6q, 8p, 10q, 13q, and 16q, as well as gains of 7, 8q, and Xq are particularly common in prostate cancer. There is also a strong evidence, that genes, such as androgen receptor gene (AR), e-cadherin, and PTEN, are involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer. However, the target genes for most of the above mentioned chromosomal alterations as well as the genes predisposing to prostate cancer have not been cloned yet. The identification of those genes should be the utmost goal of basic research of prostate cancer, today.