The McKay Urology Research Department at Carolinas Medical Center is committed to basic science research, which advances the field of urology by:

• Analyzing Angiogenesis and Metastasis in Prostate Cancer
• Maintaining Disease Databases
• Participating in the Davidson Research Scholar Program

Angiogenesis and Metastasis in Prostate Cancer
Much current cancer research focuses on angiogenesis, the formation and proliferation of new blood vessels, and metastasis, the movement of tumor cells from the prostate to other sites in the body (lymph node, bone). Doctors and scientists now have confidence that tumors can neither grow nor metastasize without new vascular growth into the tumor. Accordingly, our research focuses on the relationship between specific proteins involved in angiogenesis and metastasis in prostate cancer, and the effects these proteins have on both processes.

Thrombomodulin is one of the proteins that is being examined for its relation to angiogenesis and metastasis in prostate cancer. We are researching the expression and activity of thrombomodulin in prostate cancer patient tissues to determine how this protein is involved in the progression of prostate cancer. Additionally, our lab is examining the in vitro and ex vivo activity of thrombomodulin in prostate cancer cell lines and animal models to further investigate the role of thrombomodulin in angiogenesis and metastasis.

Disease Databases
In addition to pure basic science research, McKay Urology also manages a long-term database of prostate cancers in order to analyze the epidemiology of this disease.