Dr Charlotte Bevan

Androgen signalling/Androgen signalling in prostate cancer

 

Androgens govern many physiological processes during development, sex differentiation and aging in both sexes, and notably are key drivers of prostate cancer progression. A mainstay of prostate cancer therapy is thus inhibition of androgen signalling via chemical castration and antiandrogens, but such treatments usually fail after a median of 1-2 years and tumours progress to life threatening, metastatic, castrate-resistant disease. 

The Androgen Signalling Laboratory is concerned with elucidating how androgens drive cell division i.e. what other molecules (proteins, microRNAs) and mechanisms are involved. A major emphasis is on how we can use this information to identify new biomarkers and therapy targets for prostate cancer, with the aim of preventing or reversing progression. We have used proteomic and genomic techniques to identify proteins that modulate androgen signalling via interaction with the androgen receptor (a ligand-activated transcription factor). Several are potential biomarkers and/or therapy targets and using molecular biology techniques we are elucidating ways to develop and exploit these.

Another project (in collaboration with the Biological Imaging Centre) is developing a transgenic model to visualise where and when during development and aging (and ultimately disease progression) androgen receptor is activated. This will allow us to identify new target tissues and also to predict potential side-effects of therapies aimed at the androgen signalling pathway.

We routinely use a wide range of molecular biology, proteomic and in vivo techniques and the laboratory has a mix of postdoctoral researchers and PhD students (basic and clinical). The lab is located in the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology on the Hammersmith Campus.

Relevant clinical specialties: Oncology, Endocrinology, Urology

Further details (which includes relevant recent publications):

http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/surgeryandcancer/divisionofcancer/cancer/prostate_cancer/bevan/

Contact details:

Charlotte.bevan@imperial.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)207 594 1685