The TMPRSS2:E‑twenty‑six (ETS) gene fusion occurs frequently in a high proportion of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) in Western countries, and the aberrant expression of TMPRSS2: v‑ETS avian erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog (ERG), the most common form of the corresponding protein, can regulate cell migration and contribute to tumor invasion and metastasis.
In this study, we show how the membrane-anchored serine protease TMPRSS2 stimulates a proteolytic cascade that mediates androgen-induced prostate cancer cell invasion, tumor growth, and metastasis.
Fusion of the androgen-regulated TMPRSS2 promoter to the ERG oncogene results in constitutive high level expression of ERG which promotes prostate cancer invasion and proliferation.
Gleason grade (P=0.0002)/score (P=0.001), median tumor volume (P=0.0024), preoperative PSA (P=0.001) and perineural invasion (P=0.0304) were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence by univariate analysis with TMPRSS2:ERG approaching significance (P=0.0523).