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Ramsey
A. Foty
Associate Professor
UMDNJ
Department of Surgery
Clinical Academic Building
Room
7070
125 Paterson Street
New Brunswick. NJ 08903
(732) 235-7482
fotyra@umdnj.edu |
The biophysical and
biomolecular basis of prostate cancer progression to metastasis
Prostate
cancer is a major health concern in the U.S. Its metastatic phenotype is the major source of its morbidity and
mortality.
Two essential pre-requisites for the transition of prostate
cancer from a curable. organ-confined lesion into a malignant and
therapy-resistant disease are detachment of cells from the tumor and
preferential association of tumor cells with bone. These two processes are strongly influenced by cell-cell
cohesion and cell-substratum adhesion. attributes that impart to tumors
quantifiable biophysical properties. These properties are tumor elasticity
(a measure of a tumors' ability to deform in response to an applied
stress). tumor viscosity (an indication of cellular motility within the
tumor). and tumor cohesivity (a dynamic and complex manifestation of
cell-cell cohesion and cell-substratum adhesion).
Our
lab has developed a novel in vitro method. tissue surface tensiometry (TST). to simultaneously measure these
properties. and are applying TST to investigate the biophysical and
biomolecular changes accompanying the malignant progression of prostate
cancer. Ongoing projects in
our lab include a) assessment of the efficacy of tissue surface
tensiometry as an accurate predictor of the invasive and metastatic
potential of prostate tumors. b) exploration of how changes in various key
molecular and cellular components underlying cell-cell cohesivity and
cell-substratum adhesivity influence the elasticoviscous and cohesive
properties of the tumor. and c) employment of a novel in
vitro organotropism assay to address key issues regarding
dissemination to bone of human prostate cancer cells.
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