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The role of actin associated proteins in prostate cancer progression?

Summary

The project will investigate if the loss of actin binding tropomyosins has a role in prostate cancer progression.

Supervisor

Dr Steve Assinder.

Research location

Camperdown - School of Medical Sciences - Bosch Institute

Program type

PHD

Synopsis

An important event in the transformation of a normal cell type to a cancer cell is the disorganization of the cytoskeleton. We have recently described a new splice variant of the tropomyosin family. This study will investigate the role of this tropomyosin (proteins that stabilize the normal arrangement of the cytoskeleton) variant during the development of prostate cancer. In so doing, this study will identify novel markers of prostate cancer progression and targets for novel therapies of prostate cancer that circumvent the inherent problem of hormone refractory disease. No previous studies have investigated tropomyosins in prostate cancer nor proposed their use as prognostic markers or as possible targets of novel therapies of this significant disease.

Additional information

Techniques to be used would include cell culture, real time RT-PCR, siRNA knockdown studies, immunohistochemistry etc.

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 117