Scientists target gene in search for male cancer clues

A team at York University has been given the cash by the charity Prostate Cancer UK, with support from the Movember Foundation.

Prof Norman Maitland, based in the biology department at York, will explore whether altering the behaviour of a certain gene in the prostate could help identify therapeutic targets that can stop prostate cancer spreading.

He said: “With this generous grant from Prostate Cancer UK we want to find out exactly how a gene called latexin works in prostate tissues.

“My recent research has already shown that this gene has a strong effect on the fate of the cells which cause the tumour to develop.

“If we can find a way to increase its activity, in turn reducing the growth of tumours, this may lead to a new focus for the development of treatments for advanced prostate cancer.”

Nearly 41,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK in 2010.

The disease claimed nearly 11,000 lives in 2011 and accounts for one in eight cancer deaths among men.

Between 2005 and 2009 four in five men with the condition survived for five years or more. Three in four cases affect men aged over 65.

Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Each year almost as many men are diagnosed with prostate cancer as women are diagnosed with breast cancer.

“But research into prostate cancer is badly underfunded, leaving tests and treatments trailing behind other common cancers.

“Through funding ground-breaking projects such as this, with the UK’s top research scientists, we hope to be able to drive forward the understanding, diagnosis and treatment for the disease so that more men can survive and have a better quality of life in the future.

“Thanks to the support of the Movember Foundation, we have been able to rapidly accelerate our mission to find the answers to the many questions which still surround prostate cancer.

“While this provides a fantastic launch pad, we still need to dramatically increase awareness of the disease and support for the cause, if we are to truly deliver a better future for men.”