Targeting Neuromimicry in Prostate Cancer Metastasis

The purpose of this project is to investigate the functional and mechanistic roles of a neural enzyme monoamine oxidase AMAOA and its downstream neuronal factors in mediating prostate cancer-nerve reciprocal interactions and prostate cancer metastasis. Throughout the Year 1 of this study, we established and validated a series of stable wild-type control, MAOA overexpressing, and MAOA-knockdown human prostate cancer cells which were further subjected to stable labeling of fluorescence protein and luciferase for subsequent visualization of MAOA-mediated prostate cancer-never cell communication in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that MAOA significantly promoted prostate tumor growth and metastasis to distant organs, including intestine, liver and lung, in different orthotopic xenograft mouse models. In addition, we showed that MAOA inhibitor clorgyline effectively inhibited prostate tumor growth and progression in mice.