Open this publication in new window or tab >>2013 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]
An association between cancer development and inflammation has long been suggested. Approximately 20% of all human cancers in adults are assumed to result from chronic inflammation. The aim of this thesis was to investigate if infection-induced chronic inflammation plays a role in prostate carcinogenesis.
Our results revealed a greater infiltration of the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes in the prostate tissue obtained from men with prostate cancer compared to men without any histological evidence of the disease. These findings indicate that prostate cancer could potentially be included in the list of cancers with an infectious etiology.
Further, we investigated whether chronic inflammation has a role in disease progression. Our results demonstrated that men with lethal prostate cancer had pronounced infiltration of immune cells with suppressive function of the anti-tumor immune response compared to men with a more indolent prostate cancer.
Confirmation of our results may open up avenues for targeted prostate cancer treatment by offering men with chronic inflammation alternative therapies such as anti-inflammatory drugs. If the involvement of P. acnes in prostate cancer development is replicated in other studies, vaccination therapies may be feasible. To further individualize prostate cancer therapy, bolstering the anti-tumor immune response in order to reduce tumor progression may be determined to be advantageous for some patients.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Örebro: Örebro universitet, 2013. p. 65
Series
Örebro Studies in Medicine, ISSN 1652-4063 ; 86
Keywords
Prostate cancer, chronic inflammation, CD4 helper T cells, CD8 cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, Propionibacterium acnes
National Category
Cancer and Oncology
Research subject
Medicine
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-28466 (URN)978-91-7668-920-2 (ISBN)
Public defence
2013-05-31, Wilandersalen, Universitetssjukhuset i Örebro, Södra Grev Rosengatan 18, 703 62 Örebro, 09:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
2013-03-252013-03-252024-03-04Bibliographically approved