Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04626 (erbB-2)
 5,251 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have analyzed the effects of the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride (MK906), on the mRNA expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor and c-erbB-2 genes, in benign prostatic hyperplasia explant cultures treated with testosterone and with testosterone plus finasteride. A decrease of the epithelial cell content and an androgen-independent basal cell re-epithelialization was observed during the first 10 days of culture, suggesting a role of basal cells as stem cells involved in androgen-independent epithelial regeneration. Using a semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique, we observed a significant decrease in expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor in the cultures treated with finasteride whereas no effect of finasteride on c-erbB-2 transcription was detected, although the expression of both genes was increased by dihydrotestosterone.
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PMID:Androgen-independent basal cell re-epithelialization, c-erbB-2 mRNA expression and androgen-dependent EGFr mRNA expression in benign prostatic hyperplasia explant cultures treated with finasteride. 959 Jan 28

Chemoprevention is the administration of agents to prevent induction and inhibit or delay progression of cancers. For prostate, as for other cancer targets, successful chemopreventive strategies require well-characterized agents, suitable cohorts, and reliable intermediate biomarkers of cancer for evaluating chemopreventive efficacy. Agent requirements are experimental or epidemiological data showing chemopreventive efficacy, safety on chronic administration, and a mechanistic rationale for the observed chemopreventive activity. On this basis, promising chemopreventive drugs in prostate include retinoids, antiandrogens, antiestrogens, steroid aromatase inhibitors, 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, vitamins D and E, selenium, lycopene, and 2-difluoromethylornithine. Phase II trials are critical for evaluating chemopreventive efficacy. Cohorts in these trials should be suitable for measuring the chemopreventive activity of the agent and the intermediate biomarkers chosen as endpoints. Many cohorts proposed for phase II trials are patients with previous cancers or premalignant lesions. For such patients, trials should be conducted within the context of standard treatment. Two cohorts currently used in phase II prostate cancer chemoprevention trials are patients with PIN and patients scheduled for prostate cancer surgery. Biomarkers should fit expected biological mechanisms, be assayed reliably and quantitatively, measured easily, and correlate to decreased cancer incidence. Protocols for adequately sampling tissue are essential. Changes in PIN provide prostate biomarkers with the ability to be quantified and a high correlation to cancer. PIN measurements include nuclear polymorphism, nucleolar size and number of nucleoli/nuclei, and DNA ploidy. Other potentially useful biomarkers are associated with cellular proliferation kinetics (e.g. PCNA and apoptosis), differentiation (e.g. blood group antigens, vimentin), genetic damage (e.g. LOH on chromosome 8), signal transduction (e.g. TGFalpha, TGFbeta, IGF-I, c-erbB-2 expression), angiogenesis, and biochemical changes (e.g. PSA levels).
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PMID:Chemoprevention of prostate cancer: concepts and strategies. 1032 87