Industrial chemical could cause prostate cancer

A recent biochemistry study conducted at Marshall University in the US could help scientists develop new treatments for prostate cancer.

Focusing on the effects of cadmium on the prostate, Dr Pier Paolo Claudio, an associate professor at the university's Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, found that the prostate could be a target for cancer caused by cadmium, which is an extremely toxic metal found in industrial workplaces.

Dr Claudio said: "In our study, we investigated the effects of cadmium exposure in normal and in tumor cells derived from human prostate tissue.

"We were able to demonstrate the molecular mechanisms cadmium uses to induce carcinogenesis in the prostate."

The doctor has spent over 15 years exploring the crosstalk between factors that contribute to cancer progression versus those that protect from it. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer progression can lead to new therapies that are tailored to the specific type of cancer.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths