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The team then compared the mouse genes shown to be important in prostate development to the human counterparts that are known to be involved in prostate cancer and found that many of the genes are either turned on or off at different stages in the disease, but are definitely significantly involved.

These genes are most involved during transition stages as the cancer becomes more aggressive. "The particular genes that were regulated in response to androgens in development were the same genes that were regulated differently as human prostate cancers progressed from precancerous lesions to invasive cancer to metastatic cancer," Berman said.

Berman's team has found a viable new method to test genes and pathways in prostate cancer, and they plan to hone in on several of the new pathways they discovered in the hopes of contributing to new prostate cancer-specific therapies.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. About 186,000 cases develop in the U.S. each year, usually in those over 50.

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