Rick Kittles, Ph.D.

Genetics of Prostate Cancer

Research Summary

My research utilizes state-of-the-art technology and novel methods to uncover genetic changes leading to prostate cancer initiation, progression, and treatment outcome. Our lab focus is to formally evaluate if inherited DNA changes in candidate genes involved in biological pathways related to androgen synthesis and metabolism, cell growth, inflammation, and carcinogen metabolism are associated with prostate cancer risk. We are exploring sequence variation within these candidate genes in a well-characterized set of ethnically diverse prostate cancer patients and healthy men.

In an on-going project we are examining the effects of serum Vitamin D, UV exposure, skin color, and genes on prostate cancer risk in a large population based study of men. The ultimate goal of this project is to determine if serum 25-OH Vitamin D levels, skin color, UVR exposure, diet, and genes interact or individually influence prostate cancer risk. Other projects include understanding how genetic variation is structured across human populations and how that variation contributes to inter-individual variation in disease susceptibility and other phenotypes such as drug response.

My interests also include understanding the complex issues surrounding “Race,” genetic ancestry, and health disparities. In particular I am interested in how human population genomics can be used for admixture mapping for genes involved in disparate diseases. Differences in disease prevalence and genetic marker frequencies provide increased utility for admixed populations like African Americans in genetic disease studies since admixture linkage disequilibrium is generated between high-risk alleles at predisposing loci and nearby marker alleles.

Selected Papers

Panguluri RC, Long L, Chen W, Wang S, Coulibaly A, Jackson A, Weinrich S, Ahaghotu C, Isaacs W, and Kittles RA. (2004). COX-2 gene promoter haplotypes and prostate cancer risk. Carcinogenesis. 25(6):961-966.

Kidd L, Paltoo D, Wang S, Chen W, Akereyeni F, Isaacs W, Ahaghotu C, Kittles RA. (2005). Sequence Variation within the 5’ Regulatory Regions of the Vitamin D Binding Protein and Receptor Genes and Prostate Cancer Risk. The Prostate. 64:272-282.

Kittles RA, Baffoe-Bonnie A, Moses T, Robbins C, Ahaghotu C, Huusko P, Pettaway C, Vijayakumar S, Bennett J, Hoke G, Mason T, Weinrich S, Trent J, Collins F, Mousses S, Bailey-Wilson J, Furbert-Harris P, Dunston G, Powell I, Carpten J. (2006). A common nonsense mutation in EphB2 is associated with prostate cancer risk in African American men with a positive family history. Journal of Medical Genetics. 43(6):507-11.

Kidd L, Coulibaly A, Templeton T, Chen W, Long L, Mason T, Bonilla C, Akereyeni F, Freeman V, Isaacs W, Ahagotu C, Kittles RA (2006). Germ-line BCL-2 sequence variants and inherited predisposition to prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. 9(3):284-92.

Chen H, Hernandez W, Shriver M, Ahaghotu C, Kittles RA. (2006). Association of ICAM gene cluster SNPs with prostate cancer in African Americans. Human Genetics. 120:69-76.

Baffoe-Bonnie A, Kittles RA, Gillanders E, Ou L, George A, Ahaghotu C, Bennett J, Boykin W, Hoke G, Mason T, Pettaway C, Vijayakumar S, Weinrich S, Jones M, Lockwood E, Klaric M, Farugue M, Royal C, Trent J, Berg K, Collins F, Furbert-Harris P, Bailey-Wilson J, Dunston G, Powell I, Carpten J. (2006). Genome-wide Linkage of 77 Families from the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study (AAHPC).  The Prostate.