Research
Laboratory Experimental Biology of Prostate Cancer
Michael B. Cohen, M.D.
Professor and Head of Pathology
Richard G. Lynch Chair in Experimental Pathology
Laboratory: 1132 ML
Office: 319-384-9609
Laboratory Phone: 319-335-8188
Email: michael-cohen@uiowa.edu
Our major focus is on the examination of members of the TNF receptor family and their role in apoptosis in human prostate cancer, with a particular focus on apoptosis as a therapeutic target. More specifically, we have been interested in Fas, TNF-alpha, and TRAIL-induced cell death. Recent studies have pointed to the fact that there are multiple points at which normal signal transduction pathways can be blocked…leading to resistance to apoptosis. One goal is to understand the mechanism(s) of resistance with the ultimate goal of using small molecules to overcome this resistance. More interestingly, and especially relevant to prostate cancer, is the role that androgen plays in regulating apoptosis.
PUBLICATIONS - (See complete publications list at PubMed)
Lees JR, Charbonneau B, Hayball JD, Diener K, Brown M, Matusik R, Cohen MB, Ratliff TL. T-cell recognition of a prostate specific antigen is not sufficient to induce prostate tissue destruction. Prostate 66:578-90, 2006.
Rokhlin OW, Glover RB, Guseva NV, Taghiyev AF, Kohlgraf KG, Cohen MB. Mechanisms of cell death induced by histone deacetylase inhibitors in androgen receptor-positive prostate cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res. 4:113-23, 2006.
Rokhlin OW, Taghiyev AF, Guseva NV, Glover RA, Chumakov PM, Kravchenko JE, Cohen MB. Androgen regulates apoptosis induced by TNFR family ligands via multiple signaling pathways in LNCaP. Oncogene 24:6773-84, 2005.
Taghiyev AF, Guseva NV, Sturm MT, Rokhlin OW, Cohen MB. Trichostatin A (TSA) sensitizes the human prostatic cancer cell line DU145 to death receptor ligands treatment. Cancer Biol Ther. 4:382-90, 2005.
Rokhlin OW, Guseva NV, Taghiyev AF, Glover RA, Cohen MB. Multiple effects of N-alpha-tosyl-L-phenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) on apoptotic pathways in human prostatic carcinoma cell lines. Cancer Biol Ther. 3:761-8, 2004.
GRANTS
| Sponsor (Status) | Number | Project |
| University of Southern California (Co-Principal Investigator) | R01 CA 059705 | Pathogenesis of Human Prostate Carcinoma - Subcontract |
| NIH/NCI (Principal Investigator) | R01 CA 093870 | TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer |
| Prostate Cancer Foundation (Co-Principal Investigator) | AR Targeted siRNA Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer |
| RESEARCH STAFF Sergei Syrbu Assistant Professor 319-356-7372 Oskar Rokhlin, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor 319-335-8214 Rebecca Glover Research Assistant III 319-335-8658 Mary (Rote) Sturm Research Assistant II 319-335-8188 Natalya Guseva Assistant Research Scientist 319-353-4068 Agshin Taghiyev, Ph.D. Research Investigator 319-353-4099 |
 Agshin Taghiyev, Michael Cohen and Sergi Syrbu (front row) Natalya Guseva, Rebecca Glover, Mary (Rote) Sturm and Oskar Rokhlin (back row) |