The coactivators CBP and p300 in androgen independent prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCA) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of death as a result of cancer in men in the USA and many other western countries. In the year 2003 there will be approximately 220,900 cases diagnosed and 28,900 deaths due to PCA. Steroid hormones, particularly androgens (As), play a major role in PCA, but their precise role is not clear. The majority of PCA responds to A ablation therapy by temporary remission. However, most tumors will eventually relapse in an A-refractory state. A recent study from our laboratory suggests that androgen receptor (AR) function may play a major role in the proliferation of A-refractory PCA cells. Several reports suggest that the AR co-activators are involved in A-dependent and A-independent PCA. We have shown that p300 and CBP are involved in A-independent transactivation of the AR.