Researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center have uncovered the mechanism by which an antibody blocks the growth of prostate cancer in animal models, a discovery that could pave the way for development of a new molecularly targeted therapy. The antibody, called 1G8 and discovered by UCLA scientists, signals the prostate cancer cells to stop growing and die, said Dr. Robert E. Reiter, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and professor of urology. The antibody proved effective in several different animal models of prostate cancer, Reiter said, indicating that is could be a potent cancer fighter. The research appears in the Oct. 15 issue of Cancer Research, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Association for Cancer Research.