in Prostate Cancer

During prostate carcinogenesis the cellular adhesion molecules, i.e.; integrins and cadherins mediate aberrant interactions between glandular epithelial cells and the extracellular matrix. Several integrin α subunits are down-regulated, while β subunits are up-regulated. The expression of several cadherins and catenins has specific prognostic value. There is an association between the expression of the E-cadherin/catenin complex and high grade prostate cancer. Clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of integrin antagonists are ongoing with promising results. In this article we update the role of integrins and cadherins in prostate carcinogenesis and evaluate the therapeutic potential of their manipulation. Key words: cadherins; integrins; prostate cancer; review Int Braz J Urol. 2011; 37: 302-306 During prostate cancer (PCa) progres-sion, precursor lesions will eventually progress to incurable androgen-independent metastatic disease (1). Among the alterations described in prostate carcinogenesis are aberrant interactions between glandular epithelial cells and the extra-cellular matrix (ECM), mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). CAMs are divided into four major categories: cadherins, integrins, selectins and members of the immunoglobulin superfam-ily. The majority of studies focus on the abnormal expression of cadherins and integrins. In this ar-ticle, we update current knowledge and their role in prostate carcinogenesis and evaluate the thera-peutic potential of manipulating these molecules