The expression of inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) is altered in prostate cancer cells and reverses the transformed phenotype of the LNCap prostate tumor cell line

Inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) has been shown to be an important mediator of cAMP antiproliferative activity. In this report, it was found that cAMP retards LNCaP cell growth; in contrast, cAMP inhibits the growth of PC-3 and DU-145 cells. ICER protein levels were markedly reduced in prostate cancer epithelial cells and undetectable and uninducible by cAMP in LNCaP and DU 145 cells. Forced expression of ICER in LNCaP cells caused inhibition of cell growth and thymidine incorporation and halted cells at the G₁ phase of the cell cycle. These ICER-bearing LNCaP cells were rendered unable to grow in soft agar and unable to form tumors in nude mice. These results suggest that deregulation of ICER expression may be related to carcinogenesis of the prostate gland.