Oncogenic Fusions Harboring Genes: Exploring Novel Targetable Opportunities in Prostate Cancer.

Chromosomal rearrangements are implicated in the pathogenesis of several human malignancies, but, concurrently, they also represent targetable opportunities, as exemplified by imatinib (Gleevec), which targets the gene fusion in myeloid leukemia. In prostate cancer, several chromosomal rearrangements have been identified, most of them involving genes, which encode key transcription factors. In this review, we explore the discovery of 5' partners that classify gene fusions into distinct groups based on the prostate specificity and androgen responsiveness. Furthermore, we try to address the relationship between gene fusion status and patient outcomes and discuss the possibility of using prostate-specific targeting of gene fusions in cancer detection, stratification, and treatment.