Gènes impliqués dans l'apoptose prostatique provoquée par un déficit androgénique.

Abstract

La prostate est le siege d' affections invalidantes et graves telles l' hyperplasie benigne et, surtout, le cancer. Ce dernier se caracterise par un taux de proliferation cellulaire particulierement faible, et il est admis aujourd' hui qu' il resulte essentiellement d' un deficit du processus d' apoptose. La mort cellulaire programmee est un phenomene actif qui requiert la synthese de nouvelles proteines. Plusieurs genes, regles au cours de l' apoptose affectant les cellules epitheliales prostatiques privees d' androgenes, ont ete mis en evidence. Toutefois, la (ou les) cascade(s) d' activation conduisant a la mort de ces cellules demeure(nt) encore fort mal connue(s). L' identification de nouveaux genes impliques dans cette apoptose dependante d' un deficit en androgenes, notamment a l' aide de techniques de clonage differentiel, pourrait s' averer tres importante pour le developpement de nouvelles strategies de traitement du cancer prostatique.

The prostate is a site of serious pathologies, such as benign hyperplasy and especially cancer. This latter is characterized by a very low rate of cellular proliferation, and it results mainly from a deficit in the process of apoptosis. A fundamental study of apoptosis on a well-known experimental model would therefore be very useful for the comprehension of the cancer process. In particular, castration-induced rat prostatic regression is a good model, characterized by well-defined morphological and biochemical criteria. Prostatic apoptosis is an active process which requires the synthesis of new proteins. Several genes regulated during the programmed death of androgen-deprived epithelial prostatic cells have been described. However, the activation cascade(s) leading to the apoptosis of these cells is (are) still poorly understood. Efforts should be made to identify, for example by the use of differential cloning techniques, new genes implicated in this androgen-dependant apoptosis. These would be very important for the development of novel strategies for the treatment of prostate cancer. [References: 40]