MTF1 and prostate cancer: PTEN also interacts with MTF-1, linking PTEN activity to the regulation of MTF-1 target genes, such as metallothioneins.161 Metallothioneins, particularly MT1 and MT2, are downregulated in prostate cancer tissues compared to normal prostate tissue.162,163 Moreover, the levels of metallothionein in human prostate cancer tissue inversely correlate with prostate cancer relapse.163 Accordingly, prostate cancer exhibits a complex network linking cellular zinc homeostatic mechanisms, including zinc transporters and metallothioneins, to signaling pathways that promote tumorigenesis.