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Thymosin β15: A novel regulator of tumor cell motility upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer

Abstract

The Dunning rat prostatic carcinoma is a model system where cell motility closely correlates with the metastatic phenotype. We have identified a novel gene, upregulated in the highly motile and metastatic Dunning cancer cell lines, that represents a new member of the thymosin–beta family, thymosin β15. Transfection of antisense thymosin β15 constructs into rat prostatic carcinoma cells demonstrates that this molecule positively regulates cell motility, a critical component of the metastatic pathway. Thymosin β15 levels are elevated in human prostate cancer and correlate positively with the Gleason tumor grade. Thymosin β15 may represent a potential new biochemical marker for human prostate cancer progression.

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Bao, L., Loda, M., Janmey, P. et al. Thymosin β15: A novel regulator of tumor cell motility upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer. Nat Med 2, 1322–1328 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1296-1322

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