Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the United States and the second greatest cause of cancer-related death. Metastases usually occur to bone followed by distant lymph nodes and then viscera. Cutaneous metastases are extremely rare. Their presence indicates advanced disease and a poor prognosis. As they are highly variable in appearance and may mimic a more benign process, biopsy is essential for identification. Serine proteases, particularly human tissue kallikreins, may play an important role in promoting metastasis and facilitate infiltration of the skin. Individual cancer genetics may predispose to more aggressive cancer and thus earlier and more distant metastases. In this article, we report our case of a 67-year-old man with a 4-year history of castrate-resistant prostate cancer with cutaneous metastases confirmed by histology. Despite multiple lines of systemic therapy, the patient suffered progressive disease with worsening performance status and was enrolled in hospice.
VDAC (Voltage Dependent Anion Channel) is a channel protein located on the outer mitochondrial membrane. It regulates mitochondria functions and cell respiration through the exchange of molecules between the cytoplasm and the organelle, such as ADP, ATP, anions, cations, and other small, hydrophilic molecules. VDAC has been implicated in cardiac ischemia‐reperfusion injury as well as cancer cell survival. Yet, the precise functional roles of VDAC in cardiac injury and cancer have not been elucidated. Recent structural information of VDAC obtained at a high resolution provides essential clues to the molecular mechanism that governs this protein. Movement of the positive N Terminus voltage sensor into and out of the protein coupled with putative sites of phosphorylation facing both the cytoplasm and the intermembrane space give VDAC greater regulatory abilities. In fact, VDAC may regulate several cell survival and cell death signals, as it can potentially prevent the release of Cytochrome C and, consequently, prevent apoptosis. If scientists learn more about the functions of this protein, it very well could represent a viable target for new therapeutics to treat ischemia‐reperfusion injury in the heart and cancer. The Marquette University High School SMART Team (Students Modeling A Research Topic) created a physical model of VDAC using 3D printing technology. Supported by a grant from NIH‐NCRR‐SEPA.
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