Jessica Watson

• MSci (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Therapeutic targeting of androgen receptor variants in prostate cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) drives prostate cancer (PC) development and is the main therapeutic target for disease treatment. However, current AR-targeted therapies are not 100% effective and often lead to the development of a more aggressive form of cancer called castrate-resistant PC (CRPC). Short forms of the AR called AR variants (AR-Vs) are commonly found in PC that are resistant to therapy, and because they are not inactivated by current therapies, drive progression of CRPC. This research project will look at how the use of a PARP (enzyme) inhibitor affects transcriptional activity. This will be achieved by low dosage treatments of PARP inhibitor onto CRPC cell line models. Also, cloning will be used to generate constructs that can be used to detect proteins and compounds that are involved in the formation of AR-Vs. This could then help with the understanding of what affects alternative splicing and provide new therapeutic targets.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Dr Luke Gaughan