Advances of Zinc Signaling Studies in Prostate Cancer
1
Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
2
College of Arts and Sciences, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(2), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020667
Received: 11 December 2019 / Revised: 16 January 2020 / Accepted: 17 January 2020 / Published: 19 January 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zinc Biology 2019)
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men worldwide. Despite progresses in early diagnosis and therapeutic strategies, prognosis for patients with advanced PCa remains poor. Noteworthily, a unique feature of healthy prostate is its highest level of zinc content among all soft tissues in the human body, which dramatically decreases during prostate tumorigenesis. To date, several reviews have suggested antitumor activities of zinc and its potential as a therapeutic strategy of PCa. However, an overview about the role of zinc and its signaling in PCa is needed. Here, we review literature related to the content, biological function, compounds and clinical application of zinc in PCa. We first summarize zinc content in prostate tissue and sera of PCa patients with their clinical relevance. We then elaborate biological functions of zinc signaling in PCa on three main aspects, including cell proliferation, death and tumor metastasis. Finally, we discuss clinical applications of zinc-containing compounds and proteins involved in PCa signaling pathways. Based on currently available studies, we conclude that zinc plays a tumor suppressive role and can serve as a biomarker in PCa diagnosis and therapies.
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Keywords:
zinc; prostate cancer; signaling pathway; proliferation; apoptosis; metastasis; zinc transporter; zinc finger; cancer therapy
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MDPI and ACS Style
Li, D.; Stovall, D.B.; Wang, W.; Sui, G. Advances of Zinc Signaling Studies in Prostate Cancer. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020667
AMA Style
Li D, Stovall DB, Wang W, Sui G. Advances of Zinc Signaling Studies in Prostate Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21(2):667. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020667
Chicago/Turabian StyleLi, Dangdang; Stovall, Daniel B.; Wang, Wenmeng; Sui, Guangchao. 2020. "Advances of Zinc Signaling Studies in Prostate Cancer" Int. J. Mol. Sci. 21, no. 2: 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020667
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