Prostate cancer and the unfolded protein response

// Margrethe Storm 1,* , Xia Sheng 1,* , Yke Jildouw Arnoldussen 3 and Fahri Saatcioglu 1,2 1 Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 2 Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway 3 Department of Biological and Chemical Work Environment, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Fahri Saatcioglu, email: // Keywords : endoplasmic reticulum stress, prostate cancer, unfolded protein response, therapeutic targeting Received : February 04, 2016 Accepted : May 23, 2016 Published : June 09, 2016 Abstract The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an essential organelle that contributes to several key cellular functions, including lipogenesis, gluconeogenesis, calcium storage, and organelle biogenesis. The ER also serves as the major site for protein folding and trafficking, especially in specialized secretory cells. Accumulation of misfolded proteins and failure of ER adaptive capacity activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) which has been implicated in several chronic diseases, including cancer. A number of recent studies have implicated UPR in prostate cancer (PCa) and greatly expanded our understanding of this key stress signaling pathway and its regulation in PCa. Here we summarize these developments and discuss their potential therapeutic implications.