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Program in Cancer Biology

Robert J. Matusik, Ph.D.

Professor and Director, Vanderbilt Prostate Cancer Center

Androgen Receptor Regulation of Prostatic Disease

Since the androgen receptor (AR) drives growth of human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa), therapeutic approaches that block AR action are used to control growth of both diseases. It is now well recognized that AR variants (AR-V), which are missing the ligand binding domain, are constitutively active and expressed in PCa patients that fail androgen deprivation therapy. Our laboratory studies the mechanism that results in failure of hormonal therapy in PCa.