Dr. Philip Trackman Awarded DOD Grant for Prostate Cancer Research

Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) Professor of Periodontology and Oral Biology Dr. Philip Trackman was awarded an “Idea Award” grant from the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). The three-year grant, “The Lysyl Oxidase Propeptide as an Inhibitor of Prostate to Bone Metastasis,” began May 1 and totals greater than $600,000. Dr. Trackman serves as the Principal Investigator of this grant, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) Professor of Biochemistry Dr. Gail Sonenshein and BUSM Professor of Orthopedic Surgery Dr. Louis Gerstenfeld serve as consultants on this project , and BUGSDM Research Assistant Professor Dr. Amitha Palamakumbura serves as Co-Investigator.

Dr. Trackman and his team will study the effect of the lysyl oxidase propeptide on growth factor-receptor interactions between bone cells and cancer cells. It is known that cancer cells and bone cells secrete factors that stimulate one another to grow at a rapid rate causing cancer to metastasize to bone. Dr. Trackman and his team hypothesize that the lysyl oxidase propeptide will interfere with the factor-receptor interactions, and/or growth factor signaling by other mechanisms, thus preventing prostate cancer cells from metastasizing to bone. They will attempt to prove this hypothesis using cell culture models involving prostate cancer cells mixed with bone cells taken from mice and in studies in mice to determine if the lysyl oxidase propeptide can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in bones in vivo.

"Cancer to bone metastasis occurs at a high frequency in prostate cancer patients," said Dr. Trackman. "Bone cancer is difficult to treat. Bones become weak and the patient’s quality of life is greatly diminished due to poor mobility, increased fracture susceptibility, and the pain they experience. Finding ways to prevent metastasis to bone would clearly benefit cancer patients.”