His focus on prostate cancer includes a study to define the role of the IGF-1 receptor in initiation. Another study is designed to determine the roles of genes stimulated by the interaction of IGF, EGF, and the androgen receptor in the prostate epithelial cell. He also studies the role of IGFBP-rP1 effects on cyclin A expression and apoptosis in prostate cancer and the role of genes co-stimulated by IGF-1 and the androgen receptor in prostate cancer metastasis.

Dr. Plymate is Research Professor of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, and Deputy Associate Director, GRECC, Puget Sound VAPSHCS, Seattle/Tacoma, WA. He participated in the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program, Cell Biology Study Section, 1998-2001, and currently serves on the NIA Prostate Cancer and Minority Populations Study Section.

Selected Relevant Publications
Plymate SR, Bae VL, Maddison L, Quinn LS, Ware JL. Type-1 insulin-like growth factor receptor re-expression in the malignant phenotype of SV40-T- immortalized human prostate epithelial cells enhances apoptosis. Endocrine 7:1-6, 1997.

Nelson PS, Plymate SR, Wang K, True L, Ware JL, Gan L, Liu AY, Hood L. Hevin, an anti-adhesive extracellular matrix protein, is down regulated in metastatic prostate carcinoma. Cancer Res 58:232-236, 1998.

Damon SE, Maddison L, Ware JL, Plymate SR. Over-expression of an inhibitory insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP), IGFBP-4, delays onset of tumor formation. Endocrinol 139:3456-3464, 1998.

Hwa V, Sprenger C, Rosenfeld RG, Plymate SR. Characterization of IGFBP-rP1 in prostate epithelial cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 83:4355-4362, 1998.

Sprenger C, Damon SE, Hwa V, Rosenfeld RG, Plymate SR. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein—related protein-1 (IGFBP-rP1) is a tumor suppressor protein for prostate cancer. Cancer Res 59:2370-2375, 1999.

Drivdahl RH, Sprenger CC, Plymate SR. Concurrent regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding-proteins-3 and -6 by decreased expression of IGFBP-4 inhibits prostate cancer growth. Endocrinol 142:1990-1998, 2001.

Sprenger CC, Peterson A, Lance R, Ware JL, Drivdahl RH, Plymate SR. Regulation of proliferation of prostate epithelial cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is accompanied by an increase in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3. J Endocrinol 170:609-618, 2001.