Tulane University researcher Asim Abdel-Mageed is slated to receive a $554,525 grant for three years from the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program. The funding supports research into the role that two novel, cancer-specific genes might play in progression of prostate cancer.

"Our initial research in this area indicated that these two genes are very likely contributing to the growth and/or spread of prostate cancer tumors," says Abdel-Mageed, associate professor of urology at the Tulane School of Medicine. "The genes also may be linked to growth and spread of other types of cancers, such as breast and brain tumors."

Despite significant progress in the field of prostate cancer research, physicians and researchers still donyyyýt know enough about how to manage the cancer and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body. As a part of the research, Abdel-Mageed and his team will further examine the chromosomes where the genes reside to establish the relationship between the genes and the behavior of the cancer cells. Abdel-Mageed hopes this research will lead to more effective treatment methods in the future.