Role of splice variants in the metastatic progression of prostate cancer.

AS (alternative splicing) and its role in disease, especially cancer, has come to forefront in research over the last few years. Alterations in the ratio of splice variants have been widely observed in cancer. Splice variants of cancer-associated genes have functions that can alter cellular phenotype, ultimately altering metastatic potential. As metastases are the cause of approximately 90% of all human cancer deaths, it is crucial to understand how AS is dysregulated in metastatic disease. We highlight some recent studies into the relationship between altered AS of key genes and the initiation of prostate cancer metastasis.