Prostate Cancer Laboratory

The UW-Milwaukee Prostate Cancer Laboratory studies the effects of obesity and a high fat diet on disease progression in prostate cancer (PCa). Understanding the molecular pathways stimulated in PCa cells by obesity and dietary fats will allow the rational design of novel therapies for treatment as well as new strategies for chemoprevention.

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature, is a necessary step for the progressive growth of tumors. Our current research evolves around the study of two angiogenesis inhibitors, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Both TSP-1 and PEDF are expressed in the normal prostate, but, in PCa patient tissues, expression is decreased or absent, thus suggesting a role in disease progression.