AbstractBACKGROUNDAdvanced glycation end products (AGE) are produced with normal aging. Recently, some reports indicated that the interaction between AGE and the cognate receptor (RAGE) has a role in cancer dependent.METHODSWe investigated RAGE and amphoterin mRNA expression in prostate cancer cell lines (DU145, PC‐3, and LNCaP cells), hormone‐refractory prostate cancer tissues, and paired untreated primary prostate cancer and normal prostate (including benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)) tissues using real‐time quantitative PCR. Moreover, to confirm the AGE–RAGE interaction in prostate cancer, DU145 cells stimulated with AGE–bovine serum albumin (AGE–BSA) were examined by in vitro matrigel assay, cell viability assay, MTT assay, reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), and Western blot.RESULTSDU145 cells, a hormone‐independent prostate cancer cell line, showed the highest RAGE mRNA expression. Amphoterin mRNA was expressed in all three cell lines. In prostate tissues, untreated prostate cancer tissue and hormone‐refractory prostate cancer tissue showed higher RAGE and amphoterin mRNA expression than normal prostate tissue. The AGE–RAGE interaction induced the invasion and growth in DU145 cells stimulated with AGE–BSA.CONCLUSIONSThe AGE–RAGE interaction is important in prostate cancer development, and inhibition of this interaction has potential as a new molecular target for cancer therapy or prevention. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.