A microarray is a new technology that is used to measure RNA from thousands of genes in a tissue sample or a tumor. This allows us the ability to determine which genes are turned 'on' or 'off' in the tumor. Each tissue (tumor) can be identified by its unique pattern of RNA expression. This pattern is often called a genomic profile, but it can also be called an expression profile or a molecular signature.
Doctors can use genomic profiles to compare gene expression patterns of tumors to normal tissue. Genomic profiles can also be used to look at differences between prostate cancer tumors from different patients. When we do this for prostate cancer, we find large differences between the genomic profiles from normal prostate compared with that from cancerous tissue. The goal of our research is to determine if we can use a genomic profile to select, or guide, treatment for each individual patient based upon his tumor's gene expression pattern.
Applications of genomic profiles include:
- Predicting which patient's cancer will recur after radical prostatectomy.
- Understanding how localized prostate cancer becomes resistant to docetaxel treatment.
- Studying how local tumors respond to targeted therapies.
- Understanding how prostate cancer becomes resistant to hormonal therapy.
Our present research is focused on discovering ways to identify which prostate cancers will be sensitive to docetaxel and other new drugs. We have two main goals. First, we want to develop technology and procedures that open the doors to individualized care for men with prostate cancer. Second, we plan to use our genomic profiling methods to develop new drug treatments for prostate cancer. Our overall objective is to make prostate cancer treatment more effective.