HUMAN PROSTATIC CANCER CELL CULTURES FOR DRUG EVALUATION

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCLUDE HUMAN PROSTATIC CANCER CELL LINES FOR DISCOVERING CANCER CHEMOTHERPAEUTIC DRUGS. SPECIFIC AIMS OF PHASE I INCLUDE ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW HUMAN PROSTATIC CANCER CELL STRAINS/LINES SUITABLE FOR DRUG EVALUATION. THESE STUDIES WILL INCLUDE THE USE OF SPECIAL CULTURE MEDIA AND EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FASTIDIOUS, YET URGENTLY NEEDED, PROSTATIC CANCER CELL LINES. DRUG SENSITIVITY DATA FROM CURRENTLY AVAILABLE PROSTATIC CANCER LINES WILL BE COMPARED, IN PHASE II, WITH SUCH DATA TO BE OBTAINED FROM A PANEL OF NEW CELL STRAINS/LINES DEVELOPED FROM INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS DURING PHASE I. THE MAIN TECHNICAL INNOVATION IN THIS PROJECT IS APPLICATION OF NEW STRATEGIES FOR ISOLATION AND CULTURE OF PROSTATIC CANCER CELLS. ALL PRODUCTS AND PROCEDURES DEVELOPED DURING PHASE I WILL BE FURTHER REFINED IN PHASE II THAT WOULD ENABLE THE DISCOVERY OF NEW DRUGS AGAINST PROSTATIC CANCER. BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH RELATEDNESS OF THIS PROJECT, IT IS HIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE MISSION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.