Changes in the Androgen Signaling Pathway Caused by Gut Parasite Cryptosporidium Parvum

The molecular mechanisms driving prostate cancer initiation remain under investigation; however, studies have shown that the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway plays a central role in prostate cancer progression. The AR is a regulator of prostate cell growth, differentiation, and survival and the aberrant signaling of AR is implicated in the progression of prostate cancer. Studies of Androgen signaling pathway in connection with the gut parasite C.parvum revealed direct changes in the signaling pathway of androgen which could potentially lead to the initiation of Prostate Cancer. Analysis of the prostate samples collected from twenty JAX Swiss Outbred mice gave different points on the control vs infected prostates graph indicating down regulation in the C.parvum infected mice samples compared to the control mice samples suggesting changes in the signaling pathways. Results from the In-vitro cell co-culture consisting of 22RV1 and HCT8 cells taken after 24 hours showed upregulation, but results after 48 hours down regulated for all the genes (AR, PLZF, FKBP5 and KLK3) used to analyze the samples. Even though the results may not directly indicate the initiation of prostate cancer, the alteration of the signaling pathway of androgen in the prostate could potentially lead to the development of tumor.