Spotlight on prostate cancer

A university biochemist has won funding from a new appeal to conduct research into prostate cancer, the second most common cancer to affect men. In the UK alone, 19,000 men a year are diagnosed with the disease, with more than half dying within five years. Dr Elena Klenova, departmental lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry Genetics Unit, has been awarded £120,000 by the Spotlight Appeal, which was launched by the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) to raise £1 million solely for prostate cancer research. She will investigate a protein called CTCF which is altered from its normal state when found in prostate cancer cells. Her study will test whether this altered form of the protein promotes the development of the cancer and whether, in its normal state, CTCF protects cells from becoming cancerous. Dr Klenova said: `It is of great importance for our team to obtain this support. The AICR's grant will help us to test our ideas about the importance of CTCF in prostate tumorigenesis and may potentially lead to the development of molecular tools relevant to cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.' Two other research teams, at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, University of Sheffield, and the University of Bristol, have won grants from the fund. AICR Chief Executive, Derek Napier said: `Prostate cancer is under-funded and does not attract the attention or levels of research funding other cancers command, so it is a great moment for us to announce the first recipients of Spotlight grants.'