The primary focus of our research is centered on the molecular mechanisms of cell growth encompassing the role of cell cyclins and growth factors on cell cycle progression and hormonal induction of apoptosis in cultured malignant cells of human origin. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop chemo- and gene therapy interventions targeted to urological and pancreatic cancers. To this end we recently established and characterized a human bladder cancer cell line (BK-10) and analyzed its karyotype using spectral karyotypic analyses. We recently reported that diethylstilbestrol (DES) and its diphosphate analogue are cytotoxic to androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells in vitro. The DES-treated cells are blocked at G2/M and enter into apoptosis. We have extended these studies with a variety of established human cancer cell lines which show a spectrum of sensitivity to DES.
