Our major disease interest is prostate cancer, with a particular focus on the role of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer development and progression. We are studying molecular mechanisms of androgen receptor action in normal prostate and prostate cancer. These include studies of AR structure, AR mutations, DNA binding, and interactions with coactivator/corepressor proteins. The lab has identified several androgen interacting proteins, and a long term objective is to develop novel androgen receptor antagonists that will selectively modulate androgen receptor protein interactions. Other objectives are to establish animal models of prostate cancer and to carry out translational studies on clinical materials from prostate cancer patients.
Taplin ME, Bubley GJ, Shuster TD, Frantz ME, Spooner AE, Ogata GK, Keer HN, and Balk SP. Mutation of the androgen?receptor gene in metastatic androgen?independent prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 1995; 332:1393
Chott A, Sun Z, Morganstern D, Pan J, Li T, Susani M, Mosberger I, Upton MP, Bubley GJ, and Balk SP. Tyrosine
Kinases Expressed In Vivo by Human Prostate Cancer Bone Marrow Metastases and Loss of the Type 1 Insulin-
Like Growth Factor Receptor. Amer J Pathol 1999; 155:1271
Stanbrough M, Leav I, Kwan PWL, Bubley G, and Balk SP. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in mice expressing an androgen receptor transgene in prostate epithelium, Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA., 2001, 98:10823-10828.
Lee SR, Ramos SM, Ko A, Masiello D., Swanson KD, Lu ML, and Balk SP. Androgen and estrogen receptor interaction with a p21 activated kinase (PAK). Mol Endocrinol 2002; 16:85-99.
Yuan X, Lu ML, Li T, and Balk SP. SRY interacts with and negatively regulates androgen receptor transcriptional activity. J Biol Chem 2001, 276:46647-46654.
External Recognition:
1987 NCI, Physician Scientist Award, 7/87-6/90
1992 American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Research Award
1995 American Society for Clinical Investigation
1997, 99, 01 ad hoc member NIH Biochemical Endocrinology Study Section
2001, 02 ad hoc member NIH Immunological Sciences and Experimental Immunology Study Sections
1999-2002 Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Study Section
Major Collaborative Activities:
Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Prostate Cancer SPORE
