The cellular functions of RASSF1A and its inactivation in prostate cancer

Epigenetic events significantly impact the transcriptome of cells and often contribute to the onset and progression of human cancers. RASSF1A (Ras-association domain family 1 isoform A), a well-known tumor suppressor gene, is frequently silenced by epigenetic mechanisms such as promoter hypermethylation in a wide range of cancers. In the past decade a vast body of literature has emerged describing the silencing of RASSF1A expression in various cancers and demonstrating its ability to reverse the cancerous phenotype when re-expressed in cancer cells. However, the mechanisms by which RASSF1A exerts its tumor suppressive properties have not been entirely defined. RASSF1A appears to mediate three important cellular processes: microtubule stability, cell cycle progression, and the induction of apoptosis through specific molecular interactions with key factors involved in these processes. Loss of function of RASSF1A leads to accelerated cell cycle progression and resistance to apoptotic signals, resulting in increased cell proliferation. In this review, we attempt to summarize the current understanding of the biological functions of RASSF1A and provide insight that the development of targeted drugs to restore RASSF1A function holds promise for the treatment of prostate cancer.