To investigate the prognostic role of expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator system members, such as urokinase-type activator (uPA), uPA-receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), in patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer (PCa).
Collectively these studies have demonstrated that DNA methylation is the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for uPA gene silencing in normal and early stages of prostate cancer, which has a direct effect on tumor cell invasion and growth in vitro and in vivo.
Although uPA production is regulated by various growth factors and cytokines, the role of sex steroids (androgens) in regulating uPA gene expression in prostate cancer is poorly understood.
In the present study we have examined the effect of several growth factors and steroid hormones on regulating uPA gene expression in the human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3).