Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026

miRNA Expression Analyses in Prostate Cancer Clinical Tissues
Published on: September 8, 2015
Bromodomain-containing proteins in prostate cancer
Alfonso Urbanucci1, Ian G Mills2
1Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Nordic European Molecular Biology Laboratory Partnership, University of Oslo, Forskningsparken, Oslo, Norway; Department of Molecular Oncology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Bromodomain (BRD)-containing proteins, including BET family proteins, are emerging as promising therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. Targeting these proteins offers a new strategy beyond androgen receptor (AR) signaling suppression.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Prostate cancer progression involves multiple oncogenic factors, with current therapies primarily targeting androgen receptor (AR) signaling.
- Traditional drug development targeting transcription factors is challenging due to the lack of tractable binding pockets.
- Focus has shifted to transcription co-regulators, such as chromatin-modifying enzymes and epigenetic factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review bromodomain (BRD)-containing proteins as potential biomarkers and drug targets in prostate cancer.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting BET family proteins in AR-driven cancers.
- To provide an overview of BRD-containing proteins and their role in prostate cancer.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on BRD-containing proteins, BET family proteins, and their interaction with AR.
- Analysis of the role of BRD-containing proteins in chromatin modification and epigenetic regulation.
- Exploration of small molecule inhibitors targeting BET family proteins.
Main Results:
- Bromodomain (BRD)-containing proteins, particularly BET family proteins, are involved in epigenetic regulation and interact with the androgen receptor (AR).
- Small molecule inhibitors targeting BET proteins show efficacy in inactivating c-Myc in lymphoma and are being investigated for prostate cancer.
- BET family proteins represent a potential alternative strategy for targeting AR-driven prostate cancers.
Conclusions:
- BRD-containing proteins, especially BET family members, hold significant potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prostate cancer.
- Targeting BET proteins offers a promising alternative or complementary strategy to AR signaling suppression in prostate cancer treatment.
- Further research into BRD-containing proteins could lead to the development of new drugs for AR-driven cancers.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
The Ras Gene
Ras is a...
Negative Regulator Molecules
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...

