Fyn: a novel molecular target in prostate cancer

Fyn is 59-kDa member of the Src family of kinases that is historically associated with T-cell and neuronal signaling in development and normal cellular physiology. While Src has been heavily studied in cancer, less attention has been traditionally awarded to the other Src kinases such as Fyn. Our group has shown that Fyn is particularly upregulated in prostate cancer in contrast to the alternative members of the Src family. This suggests that it may mediate a number of important processes attributed to Src kinases in prostate cancer or other malignancies. These functions include not only cellular growth and proliferation, but also include morphogenesis and cellular motility. These together suggest a pivotal role for Fyn in both progression and metastasis. As a number of agents in clinical development affect Fyn activation, understanding the role that Fyn may play in prostate cancer and other malignancies may be of great importance in oncology.