Prostate Cancer (PC) can progress to an aggressive and treatment-resistant Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer (NEPC) where there are poor clinical outcomes, and no effective therapies exist. The Porter Lab has recently identified a unique gene expression signature in NEPC tumors marked by the elevation of the atypical cell-cycle protein Spy1.

In this project, the study team will investigate Spy1 involvement in NEPC progression by altering its expression in various 2D and 3D human cell-based models of PC and NEPC. The study team will also test various clinically available drugs that target the cell cycle to determine if inhibition of select cell cycle mediators can reduce the aggressive features in NEPC tumours. Ultimately, this work will further our understanding of PC progression and may help develop a therapy to treat patients with aggressive, treatment-resistant NEPC.