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Zheng J, Wang Q, Chen J, Cai G, Zhang Z, Zou H, Zou JX, Liu Q, Ji S, Shao G, Li H, Li S, Chen HW, Lu L, Yuan Y, Liu P, Wang J. Tumor mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation stimulated by the nuclear receptor RORγ represents an effective therapeutic opportunity in osteosarcoma. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101519. [PMID: 38692271 PMCID: PMC11148566 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor with a poor prognosis. Here, we show that the nuclear receptor RORγ may serve as a potential therapeutic target in OS. OS exhibits a hyperactivated oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) program, which fuels the carbon source to promote tumor progression. We found that RORγ is overexpressed in OS tumors and is linked to hyperactivated OXPHOS. RORγ induces the expression of PGC-1β and physically interacts with it to activate the OXPHOS program by upregulating the expression of respiratory chain component genes. Inhibition of RORγ strongly inhibits OXPHOS activation, downregulates mitochondrial functions, and increases ROS production, which results in OS cell apoptosis and ferroptosis. RORγ inverse agonists strongly suppressed OS tumor growth and progression and sensitized OS tumors to chemotherapy. Taken together, our results indicate that RORγ is a critical regulator of the OXPHOS program in OS and provides an effective therapeutic strategy for this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Jianghe Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Guodi Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhua Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Hongye Zou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - June X Zou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Qianqian Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Shufeng Ji
- Special Medical Service Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Guoli Shao
- Special Medical Service Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Hong Li
- Biomedical Laboratory, Guangzhou Jingke Life Science Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510145, P.R. China
| | - Sheng Li
- Biomedical Laboratory, Guangzhou Jingke Life Science Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510145, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Wu Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - LinLin Lu
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Yanqiu Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China.
| | - Peiqing Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China; National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China.
| | - Junjian Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China; National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China.
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Wüstmann N, Seitzer K, Humberg V, Vieler J, Grundmann N, Steinestel J, Tiedje D, Duensing S, Krabbe LM, Bögemann M, Schrader AJ, Bernemann C, Schlack K. Co-expression and clinical utility of AR-FL and AR splice variants AR-V3, AR-V7 and AR-V9 in prostate cancer. Biomark Res 2023; 11:37. [PMID: 37016463 PMCID: PMC10074820 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-023-00481-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (AR-Vs) have been discussed as a biomarker in prostate cancer (PC). However, some reports question the predictive property of AR-Vs. From a mechanistic perspective, the connection between AR full length (AR-FL) and AR-Vs is not fully understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the dependence of AR-FL and AR-V expression levels on AR gene activity. Additionally, we intended to comprehensively analyze presence of AR-FL and three clinically relevant AR-Vs (AR-V3, AR-V7 and AR-V9) in different stages of disease, especially with respect to clinical utility in PC patients undergoing AR targeted agent (ARTA) treatment. METHODS AR-FL and AR-V levels were analyzed in PC and non-PC cell lines upon artificial increase of AR pre-mRNA using either drug treatment or AR gene activation. Furthermore, expression of AR-FL and AR-Vs was determined in PC specimen at distinct stages of disease (primary (n = 10) and metastatic tissues (n = 20), liquid biopsy samples (n = 422), mCRPC liquid biopsy samples of n = 96 patients starting novel treatment). Finally, baseline AR-FL and AR-V status was correlated with clinical outcome in a defined cohort of n = 65 mCRPC patients undergoing ARTA treatment. RESULTS We revealed rising levels of AR-FL accompanied with appearance and increase of AR-Vs in dependence of elevated AR pre-mRNA levels. We also noticed increase in AR-FL and AR-V levels throughout disease progression. AR-V expression was always associated with high AR-FL levels without any sample being solely AR-V positive. In patients undergoing ARTA treatment, AR-FL did show prognostic, yet not predictive validity. Additionally, we observed a substantial clinical response to ARTA treatment even in AR-V positive patients. Accordingly, multivariate analysis did not demonstrate independent significance of AR-Vs in neither predictive nor prognostic clinical utility. CONCLUSION We demonstrate a correlation between AR-FL and AR-V expression during PC progression; with AR-V expression being a side-effect of elevated AR pre-mRNA levels. Clinically, AR-V positivity relies on high levels of AR-FL, making cells still vulnerable to ARTA treatment, as demonstrated by AR-FL and AR-V positive patients responding to ARTA treatment. Thus, AR-FL and AR-V might be considered as a prognostic, yet not predictive biomarker in mCRPC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neele Wüstmann
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Konstantin Seitzer
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Verena Humberg
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Julia Vieler
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Norbert Grundmann
- Institute for Bioinformatics, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Julie Steinestel
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Tiedje
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Stefan Duensing
- Molecular Urooncology, Department of Urology, University of Heidelberg School of Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura-Maria Krabbe
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Martin Bögemann
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Andres Jan Schrader
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Christof Bernemann
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany.
| | - Katrin Schlack
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer Campus 1 A1, 48149, Muenster, Germany
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Chandrasekaran B, Tyagi A, Saran U, Kolluru V, Baby BV, Chirasani VR, Dokholyan NV, Lin JM, Singh A, Sharma AK, Ankem MK, Damodaran C. Urolithin A analog inhibits castration-resistant prostate cancer by targeting the androgen receptor and its variant, androgen receptor-variant 7. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1137783. [PMID: 36937838 PMCID: PMC10020188 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1137783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the efficacy of a small molecule ASR-600, an analog of Urolithin A (Uro A), on blocking androgen receptor (AR) and its splice variant AR-variant 7 (AR-V7) signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). ASR-600 effectively suppressed the growth of AR+ CRPC cells by inhibiting AR and AR-V7 expressions; no effect was seen in AR- CRPC and normal prostate epithelial cells. Biomolecular interaction assays revealed ASR-600 binds to the N-terminal domain of AR, which was further confirmed by immunoblot and subcellular localization studies. Molecular studies suggested that ASR-600 promotes the ubiquitination of AR and AR-V7 resulting in the inhibition of AR signaling. Microsomal and plasma stability studies suggest that ASR-600 is stable, and its oral administration inhibits tumor growth in CRPC xenografted castrated and non-castrated mice. In conclusion, our data suggest that ASR-600 enhances AR ubiquitination in both AR+ and AR-V7 CRPC cells and inhibits their growth in vitro and in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Chandrasekaran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Ashish Tyagi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Uttara Saran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Venkatesh Kolluru
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Becca V. Baby
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Venkat R. Chirasani
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Jyh M. Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Amandeep Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Arun K. Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Murali K. Ankem
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Chendil Damodaran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Urology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
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4
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Racial Differences in Androgen Receptor (AR) and AR Splice Variants (AR-SVs) Expression in Treatment-Naïve Androgen-Dependent Prostate Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030648. [PMID: 36979627 PMCID: PMC10044992 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor splice variants (AR-SVs) contribute to the aggressive growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). AR-SVs, including AR-V7, are expressed in ~30% of CRPC, but minimally in treatment-naïve primary prostate cancer (PCa). Compared to Caucasian American (CA) men, African American (AA) men are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive/potentially lethal PCa and have shorter disease-free survival. Expression of a truncated AR in an aggressively growing patient-derived xenograft developed with a primary PCa specimen from an AA patient led us to hypothesize that the expression of AR-SVs could be an indicator of aggressive growth both in PCa progression and at the CRPC stage in AA men. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were created from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostatectomy tumor blocks from 118 AA and 115 CA treatment-naïve PCa patients. TMAs were stained with AR-V7-speicifc antibody and with antibodies binding to the N-terminus domain (NTD) and ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the AR. Since over 20 AR-SVs have been identified, and most AR-SVs do not as yet have a specific antibody, we considered a 2.0-fold or greater difference in the NTD vs. LBD staining as indication of potential AR-SV expression. Two AA, but no CA, patient tumors stained positively for AR-V7. AR staining with NTD and LBD antibodies was robust in most patients, with 21% of patients staining at least 2-fold more for NTD than LBD, indicating that AR-SVs other than AR-V7 are expressed in primary treatment-naïve PCa. About 24% of the patients were AR-negative, and race differences in AR expression were not statistically significant. These results indicate that AR-SVs are not restricted to CRPC, but also are expressed in primary PCa at higher rate than previously reported. Future investigation of the relative expression of NTD vs. LBD AR-SVs could guide the use of newly developed treatments targeting the NTD earlier in the treatment paradigm.
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Preclinical models of prostate cancer - modelling androgen dependency and castration resistance in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. Nat Rev Urol 2023:10.1038/s41585-023-00726-1. [PMID: 36788359 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-023-00726-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is well known to be dependent on the androgen receptor (AR) for growth and survival. Thus, AR is the main pharmacological target to treat this disease. However, after an initially positive response to AR-targeting therapies, prostate cancer will eventually evolve to castration-resistant prostate cancer, which is often lethal. Tumour growth was initially thought to become androgen-independent following treatments; however, results from molecular studies have shown that most resistance mechanisms involve the reactivation of AR. Consequently, tumour cells become resistant to castration - the blockade of testicular androgens - and not independent of AR per se. However, confusion still remains on how to properly define preclinical models of prostate cancer, including cell lines. Most cell lines were isolated from patients for cell culture after evolution of the tumour to castration-resistant prostate cancer, but not all of these cell lines are described as castration resistant. Moreover, castration refers to the blockade of testosterone production by the testes; thus, even the concept of "castration" in vitro is questionable. To ensure maximal transfer of knowledge from scientific research to the clinic, understanding the limitations and advantages of preclinical models, as well as how these models recapitulate cancer cell androgen dependency and can be used to study castration resistance mechanisms, is essential.
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AKT1 regulates UHRF1 protein stability and promotes the resistance to abiraterone in prostate cancer. Oncogenesis 2023; 12:1. [PMID: 36593255 PMCID: PMC9807647 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-022-00446-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, together with epigenetic aberrations are the characters of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). UHRF1 as a key epigenetic regulator, plays a critical role in prostate cancer (PCa) development, and its expression is positively correlated with the degree of malignancy. In this present study we investigated the potential regulatory mechanism of AKT1 on UHRF1, and further validated the in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficacy of AKT phosphorylation inhibitor MK2206 in combination with abiraterone. Both UHRF1 and p-AKT aberrantly overexpressed in the abiraterone-resistant PCa cells. Further studies revealed that AKT1 protein interacts with UHRF1, and AKT1 directly phosphorylates UHRF1 via the site Thr-210. MK2206 induced UHRF1 protein degradation by inhibiting AKT1-induced UHRF1 phosphorylation, and then reduced the interaction between UHRF1 and deubiquitinase USP7, while promoted the interaction between UHRF1 and E3 ubiquitin protein ligase BTRC. MK2206 significantly promoted the sensitivity of abiraterone-refractory PCa cells and xenografts to abiraterone by decreasing UHRF1 protein level, and reversed the phenotype of NEPC, evently induced cellular senescence and cell apoptosis. Altogether, our present study for the first time revealed a novel molecular mechanism of abiraterone resistance through PI3K/AKT-UHRF1 pathway, and provided a novel therapeutic modality by targeting PI3K/AKT1 to promote the drug sensitivity of abiraterone in PCa patients.
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Miller KJ, Henry I, Maylin Z, Smith C, Arunachalam E, Pandha H, Asim M. A compendium of Androgen Receptor Variant 7 target genes and their role in Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1129140. [PMID: 36937454 PMCID: PMC10014620 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1129140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent androgen receptor (AR) signalling is the main driver of prostate cancer (PCa). Truncated isoforms of the AR called androgen receptor variants (AR-Vs) lacking the ligand binding domain often emerge during treatment resistance against AR pathway inhibitors such as Enzalutamide. This review discusses how AR-Vs drive a more aggressive form of PCa through the regulation of some of their target genes involved in oncogenic pathways, enabling disease progression. There is a pressing need for the development of a new generation of AR inhibitors which can repress the activity of both the full-length AR and AR-Vs, for which the knowledge of differentially expressed target genes will allow evaluation of inhibition efficacy. This review provides a detailed account of the most common variant, AR-V7, the AR-V7 regulated genes which have been experimentally validated, endeavours to understand their relevance in aggressive AR-V driven PCa and discusses the utility of the downstream protein products as potential drug targets for PCa treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zoe Maylin
- *Correspondence: Zoe Maylin, ; Mohammad Asim,
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Identification of Candidate mRNA Isoforms for Prostate Cancer-Risk SNPs Utilizing Iso-eQTL and sQTL Methods. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012406. [PMID: 36293264 PMCID: PMC9604153 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) impacting the alternative splicing (AS) process (sQTLs) or isoform expression (iso-eQTL) are implicated as important cancer regulatory elements. To find the sQTL and iso-eQTL, we retrieved prostate cancer (PrCa) tissue RNA-seq and genotype data originating from 385 PrCa European patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We conducted RNA-seq analysis with isoform-based and splice event-based approaches. The MatrixEQTL was used to identify PrCa-associated sQTLs and iso-eQTLs. The overlap between sQTL and iso-eQTL with GWAS loci and those that are differentially expressed between cancer and normal tissue were identified. The cis-acting associations (FDR < 0.05) for PrCa-risk SNPs identified 42, 123, and 90 PrCa-associated cassette exons, intron retention, and mRNA isoforms belonging to 25, 95, and 83 genes, respectively; while assessment of trans-acting association (FDR < 0.05) yielded 59, 65, and 196 PrCa-associated cassette exons, intron retention and mRNA isoforms belonging to 35, 55, and 181 genes, respectively. The results suggest that functional PrCa-associated SNPs can play a role in PrCa genesis by making an important contribution to the dysregulation of AS and, consequently, impacting the expression of the mRNA isoforms.
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Li Y, Chu Y, Shi G, Wang X, Ye W, Shan C, Wang D, Zhang D, He W, Jiang J, Ma S, Han Y, Zhao Z, Du S, Chen Z, Li Z, Yang Y, Wang C, Xu X, Wu H. A novel inhibitor of ARfl and ARv7 induces protein degradation to overcome enzalutamide resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:4165-4179. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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Monaghan AE, Porter A, Hunter I, Morrison A, McElroy SP, McEwan IJ. Development of a High-Throughput Screening Assay for Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Androgen Receptor Splice Variants. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2022; 20:111-124. [PMID: 35333596 PMCID: PMC9057896 DOI: 10.1089/adt.2021.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the androgen receptor (AR) in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) is well established and competitive inhibition of AR ligand binding domain (LBD) has been the mainstay of antiandrogen therapies for advanced and metastatic disease. However, the efficacy of such drugs is often limited by the emergence of resistance, mediated through point mutations and receptor splice variants lacking the AR-LBD. As a result, the prognosis for patients with malignant, castrate-resistant disease remains poor. The amino terminal domain (NTD) of the AR has been shown to be critical for AR function. Its modular activation function (AF-1) is important for both gene regulation and participation in protein–protein interactions. However, due to the intrinsically disordered structure of the domain, its potential as a candidate for therapeutic intervention has been generally overlooked. In this article, we describe the design and development of a functional cell-based assay aimed at identifying small-molecule inhibitors of the AR-NTD. We demonstrate the suitability of the assay for high-throughput screening platforms and validate two initial hits emerging from a small, targeted, library screen in PCa cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Monaghan
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Porter
- European Screening Centre (ESC), University of Dundee, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Irene. Hunter
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Angus Morrison
- European Screening Centre (ESC), University of Dundee, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart P. McElroy
- European Screening Centre (ESC), University of Dundee, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Iain J. McEwan
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
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Wang H, Chang Z, Cai GD, Yang P, Chen JH, Yang SS, Guo YF, Wang MY, Zheng XH, Lei JP, Liu PQ, Zhao DP, Wang JJ. The novel indomethacin derivative CZ-212-3 exerts antitumor effects on castration-resistant prostate cancer by degrading androgen receptor and its variants. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:1024-1032. [PMID: 34321613 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00738-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) serves as a main therapeutic target for prostate cancer (PCa). However, resistance to anti-androgen therapy (SAT) inevitably occurs. Indomethacin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that exhibits activity against prostate cancer. Recently, we designed and synthesized a series of new indomethacin derivatives (CZ compounds) via Pd (II)-catalyzed synthesis of substituted N-benzoylindole. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor effect of these novel indomethacin derivatives in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Upon employing CCK-8 cell viability assays and colony formation assays, we found that these derivatives had high efficacy against CRPC tumor growth in vitro. Among these derivatives, CZ-212-3 exhibited the most potent efficacy against CRPC cell survival and on apoptosis induction. Mechanistically, CZ-212-3 significantly suppressed the expression of AR target gene networks by degrading AR and its variants. Consistently, CZ-212-3 significantly inhibited tumor growth in CRPC cell line-based xenograft and PDX models in vivo. Taken together, the data show that the indomethacin derivative CZ-212-3 significantly inhibited CRPC tumor growth by degrading AR and its variants and could be a promising agent for CRPC therapy.
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Rönnau CGH, Fussek S, Smit FP, Aalders TW, van Hooij O, Pinto PMC, Burchardt M, Schalken JA, Verhaegh GW. Upregulation of miR-3195, miR-3687 and miR-4417 is associated with castration-resistant prostate cancer. World J Urol 2021; 39:3789-3797. [PMID: 33990872 PMCID: PMC8519832 DOI: 10.1007/s00345-021-03723-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Upon androgen-deprivation therapy, the disease may progress further to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) with a poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, which play crucial roles in gene regulation. The aim of our study is to find CRPC-associated miRNAs and to evaluate their functional role. METHODS In this study, 23 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 76 primary PCa, and 35 CRPC specimens were included. Total RNA extracted from tissue sections was used for miRNA profiling on the Affymetrix GSC 3000 platform. Subsequently, stem-loop RT-qPCR analysis was performed to validate the expression levels of selected miRNAs. PCa cell lines were transfected with miRNA mimics or inhibitors to evaluate the effects on cell proliferation, cell migration and cell invasion. RESULTS In our profiling study, several miRNAs were found to be deregulated in CRPC compared to primary PCa tissue, of which miR-205 (- 4.5-fold; p = 0.0009), miR-92b (- 3.1 fold; p < 0.0001) were downregulated and miR-3195 (5.6-fold; p < 0.0001), miR-3687 (8.7-fold; p = 0.0006) and miR-4417 (5.0-fold; p = 0.0005) were most upregulated. While KLK3, miR-21 and miR-141 expression levels in androgen-treated VCaP and LNCaP cells were increased, the expression levels of miR-3687 and miR-4417 were reduced. None of the miRNAs were androgen-regulated in the AR-negative PC3 cell line. Overexpression of miR-3687 reduced cell migration and cell invasion, whilst miR-3195 enhanced cell migration. CONCLUSION We have identified several novel deregulated miRNAs in CRPC tissue, including two microRNAs that are potentially involved in tumor invasion. Our data support the hypothesized involvement of miRNAs in PCa tumorigenesis and progression to CRPC. The applicability of these miRNAs as novel biomarkers for CRPC remains to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G H Rönnau
- Urological Research Laboratory, Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Urology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - S Fussek
- Urological Research Laboratory, Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Urology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - F P Smit
- MDxHealth BV, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T W Aalders
- Urological Research Laboratory, Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - O van Hooij
- Urological Research Laboratory, Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P M C Pinto
- Department of Urology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - M Burchardt
- Department of Urology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - J A Schalken
- Urological Research Laboratory, Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - G W Verhaegh
- Urological Research Laboratory, Department of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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13
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Lu S, Dong Z. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen directly interacts with androgen receptor and enhances androgen receptor‑mediated signaling. Int J Oncol 2021; 59:41. [PMID: 33982774 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2021.5221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) and/or its constitutively active splicing variants (AR‑Vs), such as AR‑V7 and ARv567es, is required for prostate cancer cell growth and survival, and cancer progression. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is preferentially overexpressed in all cancers and executes its functions through interaction with numerous partner proteins. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of PCNA in the regulation of AR activity. An identical consensus sequence of the PCNA‑interacting protein‑box (PIP‑box) was identified at the N‑terminus of human, mouse and rat AR proteins. It was found that PCNA complexes with the full‑length AR (AR‑FL) and AR‑V7, which can be attenuated by the small molecule PIP‑box inhibitor, T2AA. PCNA also complexes with ARv567es and recombinant AR protein. The PCNA inhibitors, PCNA‑I1S and T2AA, inhibited AR transcriptional activity and the expression of AR target genes in LNCaP‑AI and 22Rv1 cells, but not in AR‑negative PC‑3 cells. The knockdown of PCNA expression reduced dihydrotestosterone‑stimulated AR transcriptional activity and abolished the inhibitory effect of PCNA‑I1S on AR activity. The PCNA inhibitor, PCNA‑I1, exerted additive growth inhibitory effects with androgen deprivation and enzalutamide in cells expressing AR‑FL or AR‑FL/AR‑V7, but not in AR‑negative PC‑3 cells. Finally, R9‑AR‑PIP, a small peptide mimicking AR PIP‑box, was found to bind to GFP‑PCNA at Kd of 2.73 µM and inhibit the expression of AR target genes, AR transcriptional activity and the growth of AR‑expressing cells. On the whole, these data strongly suggest that AR is a PCNA partner protein and interacts with PCNA via the PIP‑box and that targeting the PCNA‑AR interaction may represent an innovative and selective therapeutic strategy against prostate cancer, particularly castration‑resistant prostate cancers overexpressing constitutively active AR‑Vs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Lu
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Zhongyun Dong
- Division of Hematology‑Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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14
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Takayama KI, Honma T, Suzuki T, Kondoh Y, Osada H, Suzuki Y, Yoshida M, Inoue S. Targeting Epigenetic and Posttranscriptional Gene Regulation by PSF Impairs Hormone Therapy-Refractory Cancer Growth. Cancer Res 2021; 81:3495-3508. [PMID: 33975881 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
RNA-binding protein PSF functions as an epigenetic modifier by interacting with long noncoding RNAs and the corepressor complex. PSF also promotes RNA splicing events to enhance oncogenic signals. In this study, we conducted an in vitro chemical array screen and identified multiple small molecules that interact with PSF. Several molecules inhibited RNA binding by PSF and decreased prostate cancer cell viability. Among these molecules and its derivatives was a promising molecule, No. 10-3 [7,8-dihydroxy-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)chromen-2-one], that was the most effective at blocking PSF RNA-binding ability and suppressing treatment-resistant prostate and breast cancer cell proliferation. Exposure to No. 10-3 inhibited PSF target gene expression at the mRNA level. Treatment with No. 10-3 reversed epigenetically repressed PSF downstream targets, such as cell-cycle inhibitors, at the transcriptional level. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing in prostate cancer cells revealed that No. 10-3 enhances histone acetylation to induce expression of apoptosis as well as cell-cycle inhibitors. Furthermore, No. 10-3 exhibited antitumor efficacy in a hormone therapy-resistant prostate cancer xenograft mouse model, suppressing treatment-resistant tumor growth. Taken together, this study highlights the feasibility of targeting PSF-mediated epigenetic and RNA-splicing activities for the treatment of aggressive cancers. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies small molecules that target PSF-RNA interactions and suppress hormone therapy-refractory cancer growth, suggesting the potential of targeting PSF-mediated gene regulation for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichi Takayama
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Teruki Honma
- Drug Discovery Computational Chemistry Platform Unit, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takashi Suzuki
- Department of Pathology and Histotechnology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yasumitsu Kondoh
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan.,Drug Discovery Chemical Bank Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Osada
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan.,Drug Discovery Chemical Bank Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Minoru Yoshida
- Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan.,Drug Discovery Seed Compounds Exploratory Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan. .,Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan
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15
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Zhang R, Huang C, Xiao X, Zhou J. Improving Strategies in the Development of Protein-Downregulation-Based Antiandrogens. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:2021-2033. [PMID: 33554455 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of prostate cancer (PCa), and its signaling pathway remains active in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. The resistance against antiandrogen drugs in current clinical use is a major challenge for the treatment of PCa, and thus the development of new generations of antiandrogens is under high demand. Recently, strategies for downregulating the AR have attracted significant attention, given its potential in the discovery and development of new antiandrogens, including G-quadruplex stabilizers, ROR-γ inhibitors, AR-targeting proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), and other selective AR degraders (SARDs), which are able to overcome current resistance mechanisms such as acquired AR mutations, the expression of AR variable splices, or overexpression of AR. This review summarizes the various strategies for downregulating the AR protein, at either the mRNA or protein level, thus providing new ideas for the development of promising antiandrogen drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China.,Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China
| | - Chenchao Huang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China
| | - Xiaohui Xiao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China.,Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China
| | - Jinming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China.,Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, China
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16
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Nagandla H, Robertson MJ, Putluri V, Putluri N, Coarfa C, Weigel NL. Isoform-specific Activities of Androgen Receptor and its Splice Variants in Prostate Cancer Cells. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6029774. [PMID: 33300995 PMCID: PMC8253248 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling continues to drive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in spite of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Constitutively active shorter variants of AR, lacking the ligand binding domain, are frequently expressed in CRPC and have emerged as a potential mechanism for prostate cancer to escape ADT. ARv7 and ARv567es are 2 of the most commonly detected variants of AR in clinical samples of advanced, metastatic prostate cancer. It is not clear if variants of AR merely act as weaker substitutes for AR or can mediate unique isoform-specific activities different from AR. In this study, we employed LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines with inducible expression of ARv7 or ARv567es to delineate similarities and differences in transcriptomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics resulting from the activation of AR, ARv7, or ARv567es. While the majority of target genes were similarly regulated by the action of all 3 isoforms, we found a clear difference in transcriptomic activities of AR versus the variants, and a few differences between ARv7 and ARv567es. Some of the target gene regulation by AR isoforms was similar in the VCaP background as well. Differences in downstream activities of AR isoforms were also evident from comparison of the metabolome and lipidome in an LNCaP model. Overall our study implies that shorter variants of AR are capable of mediating unique downstream activities different from AR and some of these are isoform specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harika Nagandla
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew J Robertson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vasanta Putluri
- Advanced Technology Core, Alkek Center for Molecular
Discovery
| | - Nagireddy Putluri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Correspondence: Nancy L. Weigel and
Cristian Coarfa, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. ,
| | - Nancy L Weigel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Correspondence: Nancy L. Weigel and
Cristian Coarfa, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. ,
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17
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Regulation of carcinogenesis and mediation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling by 3,3'-diindolylmethane in an enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer cell line. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1239. [PMID: 33441906 PMCID: PMC7806813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzalutamide (ENZ) is an important drug used to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which inhibits androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Previous study showed that 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) is an AR antagonist that also inhibits Wnt signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). To investigate whether combined treatment with ENZ and DIM can overcome ENZ resistance by regulating Wnt signaling to inhibit AR signaling and EMT in ENZ-resistant prostate cancer cells, 22Rv1 cells were cultured in normal medium and treated with ENZ, DIM, and DIM with ENZ. Exposure of ENZ-resistant cells to both DIM and ENZ significantly inhibited cell proliferation without cytotoxicity and invasion in comparison with the control. DIM significantly increased the E-cadherin expression and inhibited the expressions of Vimentin and Fibronectin, subsequently inhibiting EMT. Co-treatment with ENZ and DIM significantly increased the expressions of GSK3β and APC and decreased the β-catenin protein expression, causing inhibition of Wnt signaling and AR expression, it also significantly decreased the AR-v7 expression and down-regulated AR signaling. Via suppression of Wnt and AR signaling, co-treatment increased the E-cadherin and decreased the Vimentin and Fibronectin RNA and protein expressions, then inhibited EMT. Co-treatment with DIM and ENZ regulated Wnt signaling to reduce not only the AR expression, but also the AR-v7 expression, indicating suppression of EMT that inhibits cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration to ameliorate ENZ resistance.
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18
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Moon SJ, Jeong BC, Kim HJ, Lim JE, Kim HJ, Kwon GY, Jackman JA, Kim JH. Bruceantin targets HSP90 to overcome resistance to hormone therapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:958-973. [PMID: 33391515 PMCID: PMC7738850 DOI: 10.7150/thno.51478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Aberrant androgen receptor (AR) signaling via full-length AR (AR-FL) and constitutively active AR variant 7 (AR-V7) plays a key role in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and resistance to hormone therapies. Simultaneous targeting of AR-FL and AR-V7 may be a promising strategy to overcome resistance to hormone therapy. This study aimed to identify novel drug candidates co-targeting AR-FL and AR-V7 activities and elucidate their molecular mechanism of anti-CRPC activities. Methods: Using a CRPC cell-based reporter assay system, we screened a small library of antimalarial agents to explore the possibility of repositioning them for CRPC treatment and identified bruceantin (BCT) as a potent anti-CRPC drug candidate. A series of cell-based, molecular, biochemical, and in vivo approaches were performed to evaluate the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanism of BCT in CRPC. These approaches include reporter gene assays, cell proliferation, RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, mouse xenografts, co-immunoprecipitation, GST pull-down, immobilized BCT pull-down, molecular modeling, and bioinformatic analyses. Results: We identified BCT as a highly potent inhibitor co-targeting AR-FL and AR-V7 activity. BCT inhibits the transcriptional activity of AR-FL/AR-V7 and downregulates their target genes in CRPC cells. In addition, BCT efficiently suppresses tumor growth and metastasis of CRPC cells. Mechanistically, BCT disrupts the interaction of HSP90 with AR-FL/AR-V7 by directly binding to HSP90 and inhibits HSP90 chaperone function, leading to degradation of AR-FL/AR-V7 through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Clinically, HSP90 expression is upregulated and correlated with AR/AR-V7 levels in CRPC. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that BCT could serve as a promising therapeutic candidate against CRPC and highlight the potential benefit of targeting AR-FL/AR-V7-HSP90 axis to overcome resistance caused by aberrant AR-FL/AR-V7 signaling.
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19
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He MX, Cuoco MS, Crowdis J, Bosma-Moody A, Zhang Z, Bi K, Kanodia A, Su MJ, Ku SY, Garcia MM, Sweet AR, Rodman C, DelloStritto L, Silver R, Steinharter J, Shah P, Izar B, Walk NC, Burke KP, Bakouny Z, Tewari AK, Liu D, Camp SY, Vokes NI, Salari K, Park J, Vigneau S, Fong L, Russo JW, Yuan X, Balk SP, Beltran H, Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Regev A, Rotem A, Taplin ME, Van Allen EM. Transcriptional mediators of treatment resistance in lethal prostate cancer. Nat Med 2021; 27:426-433. [PMID: 33664492 PMCID: PMC7960507 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01244-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is typically lethal, exhibiting intrinsic or acquired resistance to second-generation androgen-targeting therapies and minimal response to immune checkpoint inhibitors1. Cellular programs driving resistance in both cancer and immune cells remain poorly understood. We present single-cell transcriptomes from 14 patients with advanced prostate cancer, spanning all common metastatic sites. Irrespective of treatment exposure, adenocarcinoma cells pervasively coexpressed multiple androgen receptor isoforms, including truncated isoforms hypothesized to mediate resistance to androgen-targeting therapies2,3. Resistance to enzalutamide was associated with cancer cell-intrinsic epithelial-mesenchymal transition and transforming growth factor-β signaling. Small cell carcinoma cells exhibited divergent expression programs driven by transcriptional regulators promoting lineage plasticity and HOXB5, HOXB6 and NR1D2 (refs. 4-6). Additionally, a subset of patients had high expression of dysfunction markers on cytotoxic CD8+ T cells undergoing clonal expansion following enzalutamide treatment. Collectively, the transcriptional characterization of cancer and immune cells from human metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer provides a basis for the development of therapeutic approaches complementing androgen signaling inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xiao He
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Boston, MA USA ,grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Michael S. Cuoco
- grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Jett Crowdis
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Alice Bosma-Moody
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.416999.a0000 0004 0591 6261Present Address: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Kevin Bi
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Abhay Kanodia
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Mei-Ju Su
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Sheng-Yu Ku
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Maria Mica Garcia
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Amalia R. Sweet
- grid.239395.70000 0000 9011 8547Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | | | - Laura DelloStritto
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Center for Cancer Genomics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Rebecca Silver
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - John Steinharter
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Parin Shah
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY USA ,grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Nathan C. Walk
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Kelly P. Burke
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.62560.370000 0004 0378 8294Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Ziad Bakouny
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Alok K. Tewari
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - David Liu
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Sabrina Y. Camp
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Natalie I. Vokes
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Present Address: Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Present Address: Department of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX USA
| | - Keyan Salari
- grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Department of Urology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Jihye Park
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Sébastien Vigneau
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Center for Cancer Genomics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Lawrence Fong
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Joshua W. Russo
- grid.239395.70000 0000 9011 8547Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | - Xin Yuan
- grid.239395.70000 0000 9011 8547Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | - Steven P. Balk
- grid.239395.70000 0000 9011 8547Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA USA
| | - Himisha Beltran
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | | | - Aviv Regev
- grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.418158.10000 0004 0534 4718Present Address: Genentech, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Asaf Rotem
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Center for Cancer Genomics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.418152.bPresent Address: AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA USA
| | - Mary-Ellen Taplin
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
| | - Eliezer M. Van Allen
- grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA ,grid.66859.34Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.65499.370000 0001 2106 9910Center for Cancer Genomics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA USA
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20
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Thelen P, Taubert H, Duensing S, Kristiansen G, Merseburger AS, Cronauer MV. [The impact of the androgen receptor splice variant AR-V7 on the prognosis and treatment of advanced prostate cancer]. Aktuelle Urol 2020; 51:582-592. [PMID: 29370587 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-115426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A recently discovered mechanism enabling prostate cancer cells to escape the effects of endocrine therapies consists in the synthesis of C-terminally truncated, constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (AR-V). Devoid of a functional C-terminal hormone/ligand binding domain, various AR-Vs are insensitive to therapies targeting the androgen/AR signalling axis. Preliminary studies suggest that AR-V7, the most common AR-V, is a promising predictive tumour marker and a relevant selection marker for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. This review critically outlines recent advances in AR-V7 diagnostics and presents an overview of current AR-V7 targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Thelen
- Klinik für Urologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen
| | - H. Taubert
- Urologische und Kinderurologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen
| | - S. Duensing
- Urologische Klinik, Sektion für Molekulare Uro-Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg
| | - G. Kristiansen
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, 53127 Bonn
| | - A. S. Merseburger
- Klinik für Urologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein – Campus Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck
| | - M. V. Cronauer
- Klinik für Urologie, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein – Campus Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck
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21
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Zheng J, Wang J, Wang Q, Zou H, Wang H, Zhang Z, Chen J, Wang Q, Wang P, Zhao Y, Lu J, Zhang X, Xiang S, Wang H, Lei J, Chen HW, Liu P, Liu Y, Han F, Wang J. Targeting castration-resistant prostate cancer with a novel ROR γ antagonist elaiophylin. Acta Pharm Sin B 2020; 10:2313-2322. [PMID: 33354503 PMCID: PMC7745055 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) patients who progress to metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC) mostly have poor outcomes due to the lack of effective therapies. Our recent study established the orphan nuclear receptor RORγ as a novel therapeutic target for CRPC. Here, we reveal that elaiophylin (Elai), an antibiotic from Actinomycete streptomyces, is a novel RORγ antagonist and showed potent antitumor activity against CRPC in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that Elai selectively binded to RORγ protein and potently blocked RORγ transcriptional regulation activities. Structure–activity relationship studies showed that Elai occupied the binding pocket with several key interactions. Furthermore, Elai markedly reduced the recruitment of RORγ to its genomic DNA response element (RORE), suppressed the expression of RORγ target genes AR and AR variants, and significantly inhibited PCa cell growth. Importantly, Elai strongly suppressed tumor growth in both cell line based and patient-derived PCa xenograft models. Taken together, these results suggest that Elai is novel therapeutic RORγ inhibitor that can be used as a drug candidate for the treatment of human CRPC.
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22
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Identification of AR-V7 downstream genes commonly targeted by AR/AR-V7 and specifically targeted by AR-V7 in castration resistant prostate cancer. Transl Oncol 2020; 14:100915. [PMID: 33096335 PMCID: PMC7581977 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The entire landscape of AR-V7 target regions/genes in CRPC cells was investigated. We identified 78 AR-V7 target genes, targeted specifically by AR-V7 e.g. SLC3A2, or commonly by AR and AR-V7 e.g. NUP210. SLC3A2 and NUP210 were markedly upregulated in clinical CRPC tissues, leading to increased proliferation in CRPC.
Primary prostate cancer (PC) progresses to castration-resistant PC (CRPC) under androgen deprivation therapy, by mechanisms e.g. expression of androgen receptor (AR) splice variant-7 (AR-V7). Here we conducted comprehensive epigenome and transcriptome analyses comparing LNCaP, primary PC cells, and LNCaP95, AR-V7-expressing CRPC cells derived from LNCaP. Of 399 AR-V7 target regions identified through ChIP-seq analysis, 377 could be commonly targeted by hormone-stimulated AR, and 22 were specifically targeted by AR-V7. Among genes neighboring to these AR-V7 target regions, 78 genes were highly expressed in LNCaP95, while AR-V7 knockdown led to significant repression of these genes and suppression of growth of LNCaP95. Of the 78 AR-V7 target genes, 74 were common AR/AR-V7 target genes and 4 were specific AR-V7 target genes; their most suppressed genes by AR-V7 knockdown were NUP210 and SLC3A2, respectively, and underwent subsequent analyses. NUP210 and SLC3A2 were significantly upregulated in clinical CRPC tissues, and their knockdown resulted in significant suppression of cellular growth of LNCaP95 through apoptosis and growth arrest. Collectively, AR-V7 contributes to CRPC proliferation by activating both common AR/AR-V7 target and specific AR-V7 target, e.g. NUP210 and SLC3A2.
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23
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A Multi-Analyte Approach for Improved Sensitivity of Liquid Biopsies in Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082247. [PMID: 32796730 PMCID: PMC7465186 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel androgen receptor (AR) signaling inhibitors have improved the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Nonetheless, the effect of these drugs is often time-limited and eventually most patients become resistant due to various AR alterations. Although liquid biopsy approaches are powerful tools for early detection of such therapy resistances, most assays investigate only a single resistance mechanism. In combination with the typically low abundance of circulating biomarkers, liquid biopsy assays are therefore informative only in a subset of patients. In this pilot study, we aimed to increase overall sensitivity for tumor-related information by combining three liquid biopsy approaches into a multi-analyte approach. In a cohort of 19 CRPC patients, we (1) enumerated and characterized circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by mRNA-based in situ padlock probe analysis, (2) used RT-qPCR to detect cancer-associated transcripts (e.g., AR and AR-splice variant 7) in lysed whole blood, and (3) conducted shallow whole-genome plasma sequencing to detect AR amplification. Although 44–53% of patient samples were informative for each assay, a combination of all three approaches led to improved diagnostic sensitivity, providing tumor-related information in 89% of patients. Additionally, distinct resistance mechanisms co-occurred in two patients, further reinforcing the implementation of multi-analyte liquid biopsy approaches.
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24
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Vickman RE, Franco OE, Moline DC, Vander Griend DJ, Thumbikat P, Hayward SW. The role of the androgen receptor in prostate development and benign prostatic hyperplasia: A review. Asian J Urol 2020; 7:191-202. [PMID: 32742923 PMCID: PMC7385520 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajur.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a benign enlargement of the prostate in which incidence increases linearly with age, beginning at about 50 years old. BPH is a significant source of morbidity in aging men by causing lower urinary tract symptoms and acute urinary retention. Unfortunately, the etiology of BPH incidence and progression is not clear. This review highlights the role of the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate development and the evidence for its involvement in BPH. The AR is essential for normal prostate development, and individuals with defective AR signaling, such as after castration, do not experience prostate enlargement with age. Furthermore, decreasing dihydrotestosterone availability through therapeutic targeting with 5α-reductase inhibitors diminishes AR activity and results in reduced prostate size and symptoms in some BPH patients. While there is some evidence that AR expression is elevated in certain cellular compartments, how exactly AR is involved in BPH progression has yet to be elucidated. It is possible that AR signaling within stromal cells alters intercellular signaling and a "reawakening" of the embryonic mesenchyme, loss of epithelial AR leads to changes in paracrine signaling interactions, and/or chronic inflammation aids in stromal or epithelial proliferation evident in BPH. Unfortunately, a subset of patients fails to respond to current medical approaches, forcing surgical treatment even though age or associated co-morbidities make surgery less attractive. Fundamentally, new therapeutic approaches to treat BPH are not currently forthcoming, so a more complete molecular understanding of BPH etiology is necessary to identify new treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee E. Vickman
- Department of Surgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Omar E. Franco
- Department of Surgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Daniel C. Moline
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Praveen Thumbikat
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Simon W. Hayward
- Department of Surgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
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25
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Lau YFC, Li Y, Kido T. Battle of the sexes: contrasting roles of testis-specific protein Y-encoded (TSPY) and TSPX in human oncogenesis. Asian J Androl 2020; 21:260-269. [PMID: 29974883 PMCID: PMC6498724 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_43_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Y-located testis-specific protein Y-encoded (TSPY) and its X-homologue TSPX originated from the same ancestral gene, but act as a proto-oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene, respectively. TSPY has specialized in male-specific functions, while TSPX has assumed the functions of the ancestral gene. Both TSPY and TSPX harbor a conserved SET/NAP domain, but are divergent at flanking structures. Specifically, TSPX contains a C-terminal acidic domain, absent in TSPY. They possess contrasting properties, in which TSPY and TSPX, respectively, accelerate and arrest cell proliferation, stimulate and inhibit cyclin B-CDK1 phosphorylation activities, have no effect and promote proteosomal degradation of the viral HBx oncoprotein, and exacerbate and repress androgen receptor (AR) and constitutively active AR variant, such as AR-V7, gene transactivation. The inhibitory domain has been mapped to the carboxyl acidic domain in TSPX, truncation of which results in an abbreviated TSPX exerting positive actions as TSPY. Transposition of the acidic domain to the C-terminus of TSPY results in an inhibitory protein as intact TSPX. Hence, genomic mutations/aberrant splicing events could generate TSPX proteins with truncated acidic domain and oncogenic properties as those for TSPY. Further, TSPY is upregulated by AR and AR-V7 in ligand-dependent and ligand-independent manners, respectively, suggesting the existence of a positive feedback loop between a Y-located proto-oncogene and male sex hormone/receptors, thereby amplifying the respective male oncogenic actions in human cancers and diseases. TSPX counteracts such positive feedback loop. Hence, TSPY and TSPX are homologues on the sex chromosomes that function at the two extremes of the human oncogenic spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Fai Chris Lau
- Division of Cell and Developmental Genetics, Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Yunmin Li
- Division of Cell and Developmental Genetics, Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Tatsuo Kido
- Division of Cell and Developmental Genetics, Department of Medicine, VA Medical Center and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
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26
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Nucleolin represses transcription of the androgen receptor gene through a G-quadruplex. Oncotarget 2020; 11:1758-1776. [PMID: 32477465 PMCID: PMC7233804 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is a major driver of prostate cancer development and progression. Men who develop advanced prostate cancer often have long-term cancer control when treated with androgen-deprivation therapies (ADT). Still, their disease inevitably becomes resistant to ADT and progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). ADT involves potent competitive AR antagonists and androgen synthesis inhibitors. Resistance to these types of treatments emerges, primarily through the maintenance of AR signaling by ligand-independent activation mechanisms. There is a need to find better ways to block AR to overcome CRPC. In the findings reported here, we demonstrate that the nuclear scaffold protein, nucleolin (NCL), suppresses the expression of AR. NCL binds to a G-rich region in the AR promoter that forms a G-quadruplex (G4) structure. Binding of NCL to this G4-element is required for NCL to suppress AR expression, specifically in AR-expressing tumor cells. Compounds that stabilize G4 structures require NCL to associate with the G4-element of the AR promoter in order to decrease AR expression. A newly discovered G4 compound that suppresses AR expression demonstrates selective killing of AR-expressing tumor cells, including CRPC lines. Our findings raise the significant possibility that G4-stabilizing drugs can be used to increase NCL transcriptional repressor activity to block AR expression in prostate cancer. Our studies contribute to a clearer understanding of the mechanisms that control AR expression, which could be exploited to overcome CRPC.
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27
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Xia L, Bouamar H, Gu X, Zeballos C, Qin T, Wang B, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Yang J, Zhu H, Zhang W, Houghton PJ, Sun LZ. Gli2 mediates the development of castration‑resistant prostate cancer. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:100-112. [PMID: 32319599 PMCID: PMC7252461 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioma‑associated oncogene family zinc finger 2 (Gli2), a key component of the hedgehog signaling pathway, has been previously demonstrated to promote the malignant properties of prostate cancer in vitro. However, the role of Gli2 in the development of castration‑resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, Gli2 expression was knocked down in androgen‑responsive prostate cancer cells using an inducible Gli2 short hairpin RNA. Suppression of Gli2 expression resulted in significant reduction of cell viability, increased the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phases of the cell cycle and reduced the expression of genes associated with cell cycle progression. Gli2 knockdown sensitized both androgen‑dependent and ‑independent prostate cancer cells to the antiandrogen drug Casodex and prevented the outgrowth of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. In addition, Gli2 knockdown significantly suppressed the development of CRPC in a LNCaP xenograft mouse model, which was reversed by the re‑expression of Gli2. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first occasion in which the essential role of Gli2 in the development of CRPC was demonstrated, providing a potential therapeutic target for the intervention of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xia
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Hakim Bouamar
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiang Gu
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Carla Zeballos
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Tai Qin
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Bingzhi Wang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - You Zhou
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yuhui Wang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Junhua Yang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Haiyan Zhu
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Weishe Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Lu-Zhe Sun
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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28
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29
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Bernemann C, Krabbe LM. [AR-V7 as a predictive biomarker for prostate cancer-more than just prophecy]. Urologe A 2019; 59:80-83. [PMID: 31820021 DOI: 10.1007/s00120-019-01086-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C Bernemann
- Klinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Münster, Deutschland
| | - L-M Krabbe
- Klinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Münster, Deutschland.
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30
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Su B, Zhang L, Liu S, Chen X, Zhang W. GABARAPL1 Promotes AR+ Prostate Cancer Growth by Increasing FL-AR/AR-V Transcription Activity and Nuclear Translocation. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1254. [PMID: 31803623 PMCID: PMC6872515 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The next generation Androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies are now in widespread clinical use and prolong prostate cancer (CaP) patient survival. However, the therapies are not curative due to diverse range of resistance mechanisms. AR variants (AR-V), one major mechanism of resistance, has recently gained momentum. Here, we found that GABARAPL1 knockdown inhibits the growth of AR-positive LNCaP and CWR22rv1 CaP cells in vitro and in vivo, decreases AR/AR-V transcription activity and AR nuclear translocation. Pulldown assay shows that both of Full-length (FL)-AR and AR-V were able to interact with GABARAPL1, suggesting that GABARAPL1 may play its role through directly scaffolding AR. The further analysis from Oncomine database showed that negative correlation between GABARAPL1 expression and 5-years survival in CaP cases. Our findings have identified GABARAPL1 as critical regulator of FL-AR/AR-V, suggesting the potential benefit of targeting GABARAPL1 to treat AR-positive CaP that is resistant to next generation AR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Su
- Xinxiang Key Lab of Translational Cancer Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Xinxiang Key Lab of Translational Cancer Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Shenglin Liu
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaofan Chen
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
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31
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Apalutamide Sensitizes Prostate Cancer to Ionizing Radiation via Inhibition of Non-Homologous End-Joining DNA Repair. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11101593. [PMID: 31635359 PMCID: PMC6827010 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11101593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen-deprivation therapy was shown to improve treatment outcome of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa). DNA damage response (DDR) was suggested to play a role in the underlying mechanism, but conflicting results were reported. This study aims to reveal the role of the androgen receptor (AR) in EBRT-induced DDR and to investigate whether next-generation AR inhibitor apalutamide can radiosensitize PCa. PCa cell lines and tissue slices were treated with anti-androgen alone or combined with EBRT. The effect of treatments on cell growth, tissue viability, DDR, and cell cycle were investigated. RAD51 and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) levels were determined by Western blotting. Homologous recombination (HR) capacity was measured with the directed repeats-green fluorescent protein (DR-GFP) assay. We report the radiosensitizing effect of anti-androgens, which showed synergism in combination with EBRT in AR-expressing tumor slices and cell lines. Moreover, a compromised DDR was observed in AR-expressing cells upon AR suppression. We found that AR inhibition downregulated DNA-PKcs expression, resulting in reduced non-homologous end-joining repair. DDR through HR was a secondary effect due to cell-cycle change. These data provide a mechanistic explanation for the combination regimen and support the clinical use of apalutamide together with EBRT for localized PCa patients.
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32
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Auvin S, Öztürk H, Abaci YT, Mautino G, Meyer-Losic F, Jollivet F, Bashir T, de Thé H, Sahin U. A molecule inducing androgen receptor degradation and selectively targeting prostate cancer cells. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:2/4/e201800213. [PMID: 31431473 PMCID: PMC6703138 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201800213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A new molecule induces AR sumoylation and degradation resulting in selective growth inhibition in AR-dependent prostate cancer cells, but its activity is blunted by interference with proteasomes. Aberrant androgen signaling drives prostate cancer and is targeted by drugs that diminish androgen production or impede androgen–androgen receptor (AR) interaction. Clinical resistance arises from AR overexpression or ligand-independent constitutive activation, suggesting that complete AR elimination could be a novel therapeutic strategy in prostate cancers. IRC117539 is a new molecule that targets AR for proteasomal degradation. Exposure to IRC117539 promotes AR sumoylation and ubiquitination, reminiscent of therapy-induced PML/RARA degradation in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Critically, ex vivo, IRC117539-mediated AR degradation induces prostate cancer cell viability loss by inhibiting AR signaling, even in androgen-insensitive cells. This approach may be beneficial for castration-resistant prostate cancer, which remains a clinical issue. In xenograft models, IRC117539 is as potent as enzalutamide in impeding growth, albeit less efficient than expected from ex vivo studies. Unexpectedly, IRC117539 also behaves as a weak proteasome inhibitor, likely explaining its suboptimal efficacy in vivo. Our studies highlight the feasibility of AR targeting for degradation and off-target effects’ importance in modulating drug activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harun Öztürk
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Center for Life Sciences and Technologies, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yusuf T Abaci
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Center for Life Sciences and Technologies, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | | | - Florence Jollivet
- Université de Paris, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 944, Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Institut de Recherche St. Louis, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7212, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France
| | | | - Hugues de Thé
- Université de Paris, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 944, Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Institut de Recherche St. Louis, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7212, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Service de Biochimie, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,College de France, PSL Research University, INSERM UMR 1050, CNRS UMR 7241, Paris, France
| | - Umut Sahin
- Université de Paris, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France .,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 944, Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Institut de Recherche St. Louis, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7212, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Center for Life Sciences and Technologies, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
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33
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He Y, Lu J, Ye Z, Hao S, Wang L, Kohli M, Tindall DJ, Li B, Zhu R, Wang L, Huang H. Androgen receptor splice variants bind to constitutively open chromatin and promote abiraterone-resistant growth of prostate cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:1895-1911. [PMID: 29309643 PMCID: PMC5829742 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (ARVs) are implicated in development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Upregulation of ARVs often correlates with persistent AR activity after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, the genomic and epigenomic characteristics of ARV-dependent cistrome and the disease relevance of ARV-mediated transcriptome remain elusive. Through integrated chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, we identified ARV-preferential-binding sites (ARV-PBS) and a set of genes preferentially transactivated by ARVs in CRPC cells. ARVs preferentially bind to enhancers located in nucleosome-depleted regions harboring the full AR-response element (AREfull), while full-length AR (ARFL)-PBS are enhancers resided in closed chromatin regions containing the composite FOXA1-nnnn-AREhalf motif. ARV-PBS exclusively overlapped with AR binding sites in castration-resistant (CR) tumors in patients and ARV-preferentially activated genes were up-regulated in abiraterone-resistant patient specimens. Expression of ARV-PBS target genes, such as oncogene RAP2A and cell cycle gene E2F7, were significantly associated with castration resistance, poor survival and tumor progression. We uncover distinct genomic and epigenomic features of ARV-PBS, highlighting that ARVs are useful tools to depict AR-regulated oncogenic genome and epigenome landscapes in prostate cancer. Our data also suggest that the ARV-preferentially activated transcriptional program could be targeted for effective treatment of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundong He
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Ji Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Zhenqing Ye
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Siyuan Hao
- Department of Urology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Liewei Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Manish Kohli
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Donald J Tindall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Benyi Li
- Department of Urology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Runzhi Zhu
- Department of Urology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.,Center for Cell Therapy, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China
| | - Liguo Wang
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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34
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Gaur S, Gross ME, Liao CP, Qian B, Shih JC. Effect of Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) inhibitors on androgen-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. Prostate 2019; 79:667-677. [PMID: 30693539 PMCID: PMC7462252 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is best known for its role in neuro-transmitter regulation. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are used to treat atypical depression. MAOA is highly expressed in high grade prostate cancer and modulates tumorigenesis and progression in prostate cancer. Here, we investigated the potential role of MAOA inhibitors (MAOAIs) in relation to the androgen receptor (AR) pathway and resistance to antiandrogen treatment in prostate cancer. METHODS We examined MAOA expression and the effect of MAOI treatment in relation to AR-targeted treatments using the LNCaP, C4-2B, and 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cell lines. MAOA, AR-full length (AR-FL), AR splice variant 7 (AR-V7), and PSA expression was evaluated in the presence of MAOAIs (clorgyline, phenelzine), androgenic ligand (R1881), and antiandrogen (enzalutamide) treatments. An enzalutamide resistance cell line was generated to test the effect of MAOAI treatment in this model. RESULTS We observed that MAOAIs, particularly clorgyline and phenelzine, were effective at decreasing MAOA activity in human prostate cancer cells. MAOAIs significantly decreased growth of LNCaP, C4-2B, and 22Rv1 cells and produced additive growth inhibitory effects when combined with enzalutamide. Clorgyline decreased expression of AR-FL and AR-V7 in 22Rv1 cells and was effective at decreasing growth of an enzalutamide-resistant C4-2B cell line with increased AR-V7 expression. CONCLUSIONS MAOAIs decrease growth and proliferation of androgen-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. Clorgyline, in particular, decreases expression of AR-FL and AR-V7 expression and decreases growth of an enzalutamide-resistant cell line. These findings provide preclinical validation of MAOA inhibitors either alone or in combination with antiandrogens for therapeutic intent in patients with advanced forms of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikha Gaur
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mitchell E. Gross
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Chun-Peng Liao
- Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Bin Qian
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jean C. Shih
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- USC-Taiwan Center for Translational Research, Los Angeles, California
- Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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35
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Bernemann C, Humberg V, Thielen B, Steinestel J, Chen X, Duensing S, Schrader AJ, Boegemann M. Comparative Analysis of AR Variant AR-V567es mRNA Detection Systems Reveals Eminent Variability and Questions the Role as a Clinical Biomarker in Prostate Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:3856-3864. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-4276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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36
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Zennami K, Choi SM, Liao R, Li Y, Dinalankara W, Marchionni L, Rafiqi FH, Kurozumi A, Hatano K, Lupold SE. PDCD4 Is an Androgen-Repressed Tumor Suppressor that Regulates Prostate Cancer Growth and Castration Resistance. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:618-627. [PMID: 30518628 PMCID: PMC6359980 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional activity contributes to prostate cancer development and castration resistance. The growth and survival pathways driven by AR remain incompletely defined. Here, we found PDCD4 to be a new target of AR signaling and a potent regulator of prostate cancer cell growth, survival, and castration resistance. The 3' untranslated region of PDCD4 is directly targeted by the androgen-induced miRNA, miR-21. Androgen treatment suppressed PDCD4 expression in a dose responsive and miR-21-dependent manner. Correspondingly, AR inhibition dose-responsively induced PDCD4 expression. Using data from prostate cancer tissue samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we found a significant and inverse correlation between miR-21 and PDCD4 mRNA and protein levels. Higher Gleason grade tumors exhibited significantly higher levels of miR-21 and significantly lower levels of PDCD4 mRNA and protein. PDCD4 knockdown enhanced androgen-dependent cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression, inhibited apoptosis, and was sufficient to drive androgen-independent growth. On the other hand, PDCD4 overexpression inhibited miR-21-mediated growth and androgen independence. The stable knockdown of PDCD4 in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells enhanced subcutaneous tumor take rate in vivo, accelerated tumor growth, and was sufficient for castration-resistant tumor growth. IMPLICATIONS: This study provides the first evidence that PDCD4 is an androgen-suppressed protein capable of regulating prostate cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, and castration resistance. These results uncover miR-21 and PDCD4-regulated pathways as potential new targets for castration-resistant prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Zennami
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Su Mi Choi
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ross Liao
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Wikum Dinalankara
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Luigi Marchionni
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Fatema H Rafiqi
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akira Kurozumi
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Koji Hatano
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Shawn E Lupold
- Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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37
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Wang S, Ekoue DN, Raj GV, Kittler R. Targeting the turnover of oncoproteins as a new avenue for therapeutics development in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Lett 2018; 438:86-96. [PMID: 30217566 PMCID: PMC6186492 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The current therapeutic armamentarium for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) includes second-generation agents such as the Androgen Receptor (AR) inhibitor enzalutamide and the androgen synthesis inhibitor abiraterone acetate, immunotherapies like sipuleucel-T, chemotherapies including docetaxel and cabazitaxel and the radiopharmaceutical radium 223 dichloride. However, relapse of CRPC resistant to these therapeutic modalities occur rapidly. The mechanisms of resistance to these treatments are complex, including specific mutations or alternative splicing of oncogenic proteins. An alternative approach to treating CRPC may be to target the turnover of these molecular drivers of CRPC. In this review, the mechanisms by which protein stability of several oncoproteins such as AR, ERG, GR, CYP17A1 and MYC, will be discussed, as well as how these findings could be translated into novel therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Wang
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Dede N Ekoue
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ganesh V Raj
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ralf Kittler
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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38
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Aboukameel A, Muqbil I, Baloglu E, Senapedis W, Landesman Y, Argueta C, Kauffman M, Chang H, Kashyap T, Shacham S, Neggers JE, Daelemans D, Heath EI, Azmi AS. Down-regulation of AR splice variants through XPO1 suppression contributes to the inhibition of prostate cancer progression. Oncotarget 2018; 9:35327-35342. [PMID: 30450161 PMCID: PMC6219671 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies have shown that the expression of AR splice variants (ARv) lacking ligand-binding domain is associated with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and higher risk of tumor metastasis and recurrence. Nuclear export protein XPO1 regulates the nuclear localization of many proteins including tumor suppressor proteins. Increased XPO1 in prostate cancer is associated with a high Gleason score and bone metastasis. In this study, we found that high expression of AR splice variant 7 (AR-v7) was correlated with increased XPO1 expression. Silencing of XPO1 by RNAi or treatment with Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compounds selinexor and eltanexor (KPT-8602) down-regulated the expression of AR, AR-v7 and ARv567es at mRNA and protein levels. XPO1 silencing also inhibited the expression of AR and ARv regulators including FOXA1, Src, Vav3, MED1 and Sam68, leading to the suppression of ARv and AR target genes, UBE2C and PSA. By targeting XPO1/ARv signaling, SINE suppressed prostate cancer (PCa) growth in vitro and in vivo and potentiated the anti-cancer activity of anti-AR agents, enzalutamide and abiraterone. Therefore, XPO1 inhibition could be a novel promising agent used in combination with conventional chemotherapeutics and AR-targeted therapy for the better treatment of PCa, especially CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hua Chang
- Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc, Newton, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Jasper E Neggers
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat, Belgium
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Herestraat, Belgium
| | | | - Asfar S Azmi
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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39
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Tassinari M, Cimino-Reale G, Nadai M, Doria F, Butovskaya E, Recagni M, Freccero M, Zaffaroni N, Richter SN, Folini M. Down-Regulation of the Androgen Receptor by G-Quadruplex Ligands Sensitizes Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells to Enzalutamide. J Med Chem 2018; 61:8625-8638. [PMID: 30188709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Stabilization of the G-quadruplexes (G4s) within the androgen receptor (AR) gene promoter to block transcription may represent an innovative approach to interfere with aberrant AR signaling in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). A library of differently functionalized naphthalene diimides (NDIs) was screened for their ability to stabilize AR G4s: the core-extended NDI (7) stood out as the most promising ligand. AR-positive cells were remarkably sensitive to 7 in comparison to AR-negative CRCP or normal prostate epithelial cells; 7 induced remarkable impairment of AR mRNA and protein amounts and significant perturbations in the expression levels of KLK3 and of genes involved in the activation of AR program via feedback mechanisms. Moreover, 7 synergistically interacted with Enzalutamide, an inhibitor of AR signaling used in second-line therapies. Overall, our data show that stabilization of AR G4s may represent an alternative treatment options for CRPC and other malignancies relying on aberrant androgen signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Tassinari
- Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padua , via A. Gabelli 63 , 35121 Padua , Italy
| | - Graziella Cimino-Reale
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano , Via G. A. Amadeo 42 , 20133 Milan , Italy
| | - Matteo Nadai
- Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padua , via A. Gabelli 63 , 35121 Padua , Italy
| | - Filippo Doria
- Department of Chemistry , University of Pavia , v. le Taramelli 10 , 27100 , Pavia , Italy
| | - Elena Butovskaya
- Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padua , via A. Gabelli 63 , 35121 Padua , Italy
| | - Marta Recagni
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano , Via G. A. Amadeo 42 , 20133 Milan , Italy
| | - Mauro Freccero
- Department of Chemistry , University of Pavia , v. le Taramelli 10 , 27100 , Pavia , Italy
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano , Via G. A. Amadeo 42 , 20133 Milan , Italy
| | - Sara N Richter
- Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padua , via A. Gabelli 63 , 35121 Padua , Italy
| | - Marco Folini
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development , Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano , Via G. A. Amadeo 42 , 20133 Milan , Italy
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40
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Magani F, Bray ER, Martinez MJ, Zhao N, Copello VA, Heidman L, Peacock SO, Wiley DJ, D'Urso G, Burnstein KL. Identification of an oncogenic network with prognostic and therapeutic value in prostate cancer. Mol Syst Biol 2018; 14:e8202. [PMID: 30108134 PMCID: PMC6684952 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20188202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying critical pathways governing disease progression is essential for accurate prognosis and effective therapy. We developed a broadly applicable and novel systems‐level gene discovery strategy. This approach focused on constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) splice variant‐driven pathways as representative of an intractable mechanism of prostate cancer (PC) therapeutic resistance. We performed a meta‐analysis of human prostate samples using weighted gene co‐expression network analysis combined with experimental AR variant transcriptome analyses. An AR variant‐driven gene module that is upregulated during human PC progression was identified. We filtered this module by identifying genes that functionally interacted with AR variants using a high‐throughput synthetic genetic array screen in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This strategy identified seven AR variant‐regulated genes that also enhance AR activity and drive cancer progression. Expression of the seven genes predicted poor disease‐free survival in large independent PC patient cohorts. Pharmacologic inhibition of interacting members of the gene set potently and synergistically decreased PC cell proliferation. This unbiased and novel gene discovery strategy identified a clinically relevant, oncogenic, interacting gene hub with strong prognostic and therapeutic potential in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorella Magani
- Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Eric R Bray
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Maria J Martinez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ning Zhao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Valeria A Copello
- Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Laine Heidman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stephanie O Peacock
- Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - David J Wiley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Gennaro D'Urso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kerry L Burnstein
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA .,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC), Miami, FL, USA
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41
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Soundararajan R, Paranjape AN, Maity S, Aparicio A, Mani SA. EMT, stemness and tumor plasticity in aggressive variant neuroendocrine prostate cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2018; 1870:229-238. [PMID: 29981816 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine/Aggressive Variant Prostate Cancers are lethal variants of the disease, with an aggressive clinical course and very short responses to conventional therapy. The age-adjusted incidence rate for this tumor sub-type has steadily increased over the past 20 years in the United States, with no reduction in the associated mortality rate. The molecular networks fueling its emergence and sustenance are still obscure; however, many factors have been associated with the onset and progression of neuroendocrine differentiation in clinically typical adenocarcinomas including loss of androgen-receptor expression and/or signaling, conventional therapy, and dysregulated cytokine function. "Tumor-plasticity" and the ability to dedifferentiate into alternate cell lineages are central to this process. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) signaling pathways are major promoters of stem-cell properties in prostate tumor cells. In this review, we examine the contributions of EMT-induced cellular-plasticity and stem-cell signaling pathways to the progression of Neuroendocrine/Aggressive Variant Prostate Cancers in the light of potential therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama Soundararajan
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Anurag N Paranjape
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sankar Maity
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ana Aparicio
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sendurai A Mani
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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42
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Braga DL, Mota STS, Zóia MAP, Lima PMAP, Orsolin PC, Vecchi L, Nepomuceno JC, Fürstenau CR, Maia YCP, Goulart LR, Araújo TG. Ethanolic Extracts from Azadirachta indica Leaves Modulate Transcriptional Levels of Hormone Receptor Variant in Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19071879. [PMID: 29949923 PMCID: PMC6073126 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19071879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast Cancer (BC) encompasses numerous entities with different biological and behavioral characteristics, favored by tumor molecular complexity. Azadirachta indica (neem) presents phenolic compounds, indicating its potential as an antineoplastic compound. The present study aimed to evaluate the cellular response of MCF10, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 breast cell lines to ethanolic extracts of neem leaves (EENL) obtained by dichloromethane (DCM) and ethyl acetate (EA) solvent. Extracts’ antiproliferative activities were evaluated against MCF 10A, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 for 24 and 48 h using MTT assay. ESR1, ESR2, AR, AR-V1, AR-V4, and AR-V7 transcripts were quantified through qPCR for 0.03125 μg/mL of DCM and 1.0 μg/mL for EA for 48 h. The EENL was tested on Drosophila melanogaster as a sole treatment and then also together with doxorubicin. Antiproliferative effect on tumor cell lines without affecting MCF 10A were 1.0 µg/mL (P < 0.001) for EA, and 0.03125 µg/mL (P < 0.0001) for DCM, both after 48 h. Transcriptional levels of AR-V7 increased after treatment. In vivo assays demonstrated that EENL induced fewer tumors at a higher concentration with doxorubicin (DXR). The behavior of AR-V7 in the MDA-MB-231 tumor lineage indicates new pathways involved in tumor biology and this may have therapeutic value for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deisi L Braga
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
| | - Sara T S Mota
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Mariana A P Zóia
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Paula M A P Lima
- Laboratory of Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, University Center of Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas-MG 38700-207, Brazil.
| | - Priscila C Orsolin
- Laboratory of Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, University Center of Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas-MG 38700-207, Brazil.
| | - Lara Vecchi
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Júlio C Nepomuceno
- Laboratory of Cytogenetic and Mutagenesis, University Center of Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas-MG 38700-207, Brazil.
| | - Cristina R Fürstenau
- Laboratory of Animal Cell Culture, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
| | - Yara C P Maia
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
- University of California Davis, Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Thaise G Araújo
- Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38700-128, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia-MG 38400-902, Brazil.
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43
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Moses MA, Kim YS, Rivera-Marquez GM, Oshima N, Watson MJ, Beebe KE, Wells C, Lee S, Zuehlke AD, Shao H, Bingman WE, Kumar V, Malhotra SV, Weigel NL, Gestwicki JE, Trepel JB, Neckers LM. Targeting the Hsp40/Hsp70 Chaperone Axis as a Novel Strategy to Treat Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Cancer Res 2018; 78:4022-4035. [PMID: 29764864 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-3728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is characterized by reactivation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling, in part by elevated expression of AR splice variants (ARv) including ARv7, a constitutively active, ligand binding domain (LBD)-deficient variant whose expression has been correlated with therapeutic resistance and poor prognosis. In a screen to identify small-molecule dual inhibitors of both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent AR gene signatures, we identified the chalcone C86. Binding studies using purified proteins and CRPC cell lysates revealed C86 to interact with Hsp40. Pull-down studies using biotinylated-C86 found Hsp40 present in a multiprotein complex with full-length (FL-) AR, ARv7, and Hsp70 in CRPC cells. Treatment of CRPC cells with C86 or the allosteric Hsp70 inhibitor JG98 resulted in rapid protein destabilization of both FL-AR and ARv, including ARv7, concomitant with reduced FL-AR- and ARv7-mediated transcriptional activity. The glucocorticoid receptor, whose elevated expression in a subset of CRPC also leads to androgen-independent AR target gene transcription, was also destabilized by inhibition of Hsp40 or Hsp70. In vivo, Hsp40 or Hsp70 inhibition demonstrated single-agent and combinatorial activity in a 22Rv1 CRPC xenograft model. These data reveal that, in addition to recognized roles of Hsp40 and Hsp70 in FL-AR LBD remodeling, ARv lacking the LBD remain dependent on molecular chaperones for stability and function. Our findings highlight the feasibility and potential benefit of targeting the Hsp40/Hsp70 chaperone axis to treat prostate cancer that has become resistant to standard antiandrogen therapy.Significance: These findings highlight the feasibility of targeting the Hsp40/Hsp70 chaperone axis to treat CRPC that has become resistant to standard antiandrogen therapy. Cancer Res; 78(14); 4022-35. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Moses
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yeong Sang Kim
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Genesis M Rivera-Marquez
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nobu Oshima
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Matthew J Watson
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kristin E Beebe
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Catherine Wells
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sunmin Lee
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Abbey D Zuehlke
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hao Shao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - William E Bingman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Vineet Kumar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Sanjay V Malhotra
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Nancy L Weigel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jane B Trepel
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Leonard M Neckers
- Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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44
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Weber H, Garabedian MJ. The mediator complex in genomic and non-genomic signaling in cancer. Steroids 2018; 133:8-14. [PMID: 29157917 PMCID: PMC5864542 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mediator is a conserved, multi-subunit macromolecular machine divided structurally into head, middle, and tail modules, along with a transiently associating kinase module. Mediator functions as an integrator of transcriptional regulatory activity by interacting with DNA-bound transcription factors and with RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to both activate and repress gene expression. Mediator has been shown to affect multiple steps in transcription, including chromatin looping between enhancers and promoters, pre-initiation complex formation, transcriptional elongation, and mRNA splicing. Individual Mediator subunits participate in regulation of gene expression by the estrogen and androgen receptors and are altered in a number of endocrine cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. In addition to its role in genomic signaling, MED12 has been implicated in non-genomic signaling by interacting with and activating TGF-beta receptor 2 in the cytoplasm. Recent structural studies have revealed extensive inter-domain interactions and complex architecture of the Mediator-Pol II complex, suggesting that Mediator is capable of reorganizing its conformation and composition to fit cellular needs. We propose that alterations in Mediator subunit expression that occur in various cancers could impact the organization and function of Mediator, resulting in changes in gene expression that promote malignancy. A better understanding of the role of Mediator in cancer could reveal new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of Mediator-dependent endocrine cancers, especially in settings of therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Weber
- Departments of Microbiology and Urology, NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Ave, New York, NY 10012, United States
| | - Michael J Garabedian
- Departments of Microbiology and Urology, NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Ave, New York, NY 10012, United States.
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45
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Antonopoulou E, Ladomery M. Targeting Splicing in Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051287. [PMID: 29693622 PMCID: PMC5983716 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 95% of human genes are alternatively spliced, expressing splice isoforms that often exhibit antagonistic functions. We describe genes whose alternative splicing has been linked to prostate cancer; namely VEGFA, KLF6, BCL2L2, ERG, and AR. We discuss opportunities to develop novel therapies that target specific splice isoforms, or that target the machinery of splicing. Therapeutic approaches include the development of small molecule inhibitors of splice factor kinases, splice isoform specific siRNAs, and splice switching oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Effrosyni Antonopoulou
- Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK.
| | - Michael Ladomery
- Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK.
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Lev A, Lulla AR, Ross BC, Ralff MD, Makhov PB, Dicker DT, El-Deiry WS. ONC201 Targets AR and AR-V7 Signaling, Reduces PSA, and Synergizes with Everolimus in Prostate Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2018; 16:754-766. [PMID: 29588330 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-17-0614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a key role in prostate cancer progression, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a mainstay clinical treatment regimen for patients with advanced disease. Unfortunately, most prostate cancers eventually become androgen-independent and resistant to ADT with patients progressing to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Constitutively activated AR variants (AR-V) have emerged as mediators of resistance to AR-targeted therapy and the progression of mCRPC, and they represent an important therapeutic target. Out of at least 15 AR-Vs described thus far, AR-V7 is the most abundant, and its expression correlates with ADT resistance. ONC201/TIC10 is the founding member of the imipridone class of small molecules and has shown anticancer activity in a broad range of tumor types. ONC201 is currently being tested in phase I/II clinical trials for advanced solid tumors, including mCRPC, and hematologic malignancies. There has been promising activity observed in patients in early clinical testing. This study demonstrates preclinical single-agent efficacy of ONC201 using in vitro and in vivo models of prostate cancer. ONC201 has potent antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in both castration-resistant and -sensitive prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that ONC201 downregulates the expression of key drivers of prostate cancer such as AR-V7 and downstream target genes including the clinically used biomarker PSA (KLK3). Finally, the data also provide a preclinical rationale for combination of ONC201 with approved therapeutics for prostate cancer such as enzalutamide, everolimus (mTOR inhibitor), or docetaxel.Implications: The preclinical efficacy of ONC201 as a single agent or in combination, in hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant prostate cancer, suggests the potential for immediate clinical translation. Mol Cancer Res; 16(5); 754-66. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avital Lev
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Amriti R Lulla
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brian C Ross
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Marie D Ralff
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Petr B Makhov
- Department of Urologic Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David T Dicker
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Wafik S El-Deiry
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Khan HL, Bhatti S, Abbas S, Khan YL, Gonzalez RMM, Aslamkhan M, Gonzalez GR, Aydin HH. Longer trinucleotide repeats of androgen receptor are associated with higher testosterone and low oxytocin levels in diabetic premature ejaculatory dysfunction patients. Basic Clin Androl 2018; 28:3. [PMID: 29556396 PMCID: PMC5838858 DOI: 10.1186/s12610-018-0068-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite its worldwide high occurrence, the obscurity regarding the description, epidemiology and management of premature ejaculation remains provocative. It is well established that male premature ejaculatory dysfunction is an increasing problem due to spontaneous ejaculation across a variety of general and clinical subjects. The main goal of this study was to determine the relationships between trinucleotide repeats of the androgen receptor (AR), sex steroids, and pituitary hormones with sexual function in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and reported with acquired premature ejaculation (PE). Methods A total of 150 normal and 250 PE + DM subjects were enrolled in this study. Each subject was invited to fill out an elaborative questionnaire to acquire precise selective information regarding BMI, duration of PE + DM, self-reported Intra-Vaginal Ejaculatory Latency Time (IELT), sexual and mental health status by using the premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Pearson's correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between clinical, hormonal, and genetic variables. Ward's minimum variance cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used for evaluation of dependence between genetic, clinical, and demographic parameters. Results The patients who have the lowest number of (≤21) (CAG)n repeats have higher serum oxytocin levels (114.2 pg/ml; n = 54, 43.2%) than the controls (69.18 pg/ml; n = 22, 17.6%) and the patients with the highest (≥26) number of (CAG)n repeats (62.9 pg/ml; n = 108, 43.2%).On the other hand, patients who have the highest numbers of (CAG)n repeats (≥26) have higher serum testosterone (6.1 ng/ml; n = 108, 43.2% of cohort) lower prolactin (3.01 ng/ml; n = 108, 43.2% of cohort) levels than the controls and patients with the lowest numbers (≤21) of (CAG)n repeats and their TSH (1.53 mIU/L, P < 0.05) levels are lower than those of controls. In the Pearson correlation model, self-estimated IELT demonstrated significantly negative correlation with both (CAG)n and (GCC)n repeats (r = - 0.16, p = 0.0001; r = - 0.19, p = 0.0001) respectively. These repeats have positive correlation with PEDT (r = 0.28, p = 0.0001: r = 0.24, p = 0.0001, whole model) and inversely correlated with BDI-II (r = - 0.25, p = 0.0001). Conclusion This study indicates that androgen receptor polymorphism modulates the endocrine effect on ejaculatory reflex and depends strongly on its "cofactors". Moreover, our results also confirmed an association between long tri-nucleotide repeats of androgen receptor, sex steroids, pituitary, and thyroid hormones in relation to acquired premature ejaculatory dysfunction in diabetic patients. However, endocrine regulation of PE reflex is a complex phenomenon that requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haroon Latif Khan
- Lahore Institute of fertility and Endocrinology, Hameed Latif Hospital, 14 - Abu Bakar Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shahzad Bhatti
- Lahore Institute of fertility and Endocrinology, Hameed Latif Hospital, 14 - Abu Bakar Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan.,2Department of Human Genetics and Molecular biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, -54600 Pakistan.,3Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, 54600 Pakistan.,4Department of Medical Education, Rashid Latif Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sana Abbas
- Lahore Institute of fertility and Endocrinology, Hameed Latif Hospital, 14 - Abu Bakar Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Yousaf Latif Khan
- Lahore Institute of fertility and Endocrinology, Hameed Latif Hospital, 14 - Abu Bakar Block, New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rosa Maria Marquez Gonzalez
- Centro de investigacion Biomedica de Occidente, IMSS, Uiversidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco Maxico, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Muhammad Aslamkhan
- 2Department of Human Genetics and Molecular biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, -54600 Pakistan
| | - Gerardo Rodriguez Gonzalez
- 6Universidad De Guadalajara CIBO, IMSS, Sierra Mojada 800 Independencia, 44340 Guadalajara, Jalisco Maxicom Mexico
| | - Hikmet Hakan Aydin
- 7Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ege University School of Medicine, Bornova, Izmir Turkey
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Bernemann C, Steinestel J, Humberg V, Bögemann M, Schrader AJ, Lennerz JK. Performance comparison of two androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) detection methods. BJU Int 2018; 122:219-226. [PMID: 29359890 DOI: 10.1111/bju.14146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the performance of two established androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) mRNA detection systems, as paradoxical responses to next-generation androgen-deprivation therapy in AR-V7 mRNA-positive circulating tumour cells (CTC) of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) could be related to false-positive classification using detection systems with different sensitivities. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared the performance of two established mRNA-based AR-V7 detection technologies using either SYBR Green or TaqMan chemistries. We assessed in vitro performance using eight genitourinary cancer cell lines and serial dilutions in three AR-V7-positive prostate cancer cell lines, as well as in 32 blood samples from patients with CRPC. RESULTS Both assays performed identically in the cell lines and serial dilutions showed identical diagnostic thresholds. Performance comparison in 32 clinical patient samples showed perfect concordance between the assays. In particular, both assays determined AR-V7 mRNA-positive CTCs in three patients with unexpected responses to next-generation anti-androgen therapy. Thus, technical differences between the assays can be excluded as the underlying reason for the unexpected responses to next-generation anti-androgen therapy in a subset of AR-V7 patients. CONCLUSIONS Irrespective of the method used, patients with AR-V7 mRNA-positive CRPC should not be systematically precluded from an otherwise safe treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Steinestel
- Urology, University of Muenster Medical Center, Muenster, Germany
| | - Verena Humberg
- Urology, University of Muenster Medical Center, Muenster, Germany
| | - Martin Bögemann
- Urology, University of Muenster Medical Center, Muenster, Germany
| | | | - Jochen K Lennerz
- Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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49
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Christenson JL, Trepel JB, Ali HY, Lee S, Eisner JR, Baskin-Bey ES, Elias AD, Richer JK. Harnessing a Different Dependency: How to Identify and Target Androgen Receptor-Positive Versus Quadruple-Negative Breast Cancer. Discov Oncol 2018; 9:82-94. [PMID: 29340907 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-017-0314-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is a promising therapeutic target for a subset of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) in which AR is expressed. However, the mechanistic action of AR and the degree to which primary and metastatic tumors depend on AR, both before and after conventional treatment, remain to be defined. We discuss preclinical and clinical data for AR+ TNBC, the difficulties in monitoring AR protein levels, new methods for determining AR status, the influence of AR on "stemness" in the context of TNBC, the role of combined inhibition of sex steroid production and AR, and the role of AR in regulation of the immune system. Although the exact role of AR in subsets of TNBC is still being characterized, new therapies that target AR and the production of androgens may provide additional options for patients with TNBC for whom chemotherapy is currently the sole treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Christenson
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jane B Trepel
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Sunmin Lee
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Anthony D Elias
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Jennifer K Richer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
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50
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Moon SJ, Jeong BC, Kim HJ, Lim JE, Kwon GY, Kim JH. DBC1 promotes castration-resistant prostate cancer by positively regulating DNA binding and stability of AR-V7. Oncogene 2017; 37:1326-1339. [PMID: 29249800 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-017-0047-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Constitutively active AR-V7, one of the major androgen receptor (AR) splice variants lacking the ligand-binding domain, plays a key role in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and anti-androgen resistance. However, our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of AR-V7-driven transcription is limited. Here we report DBC1 as a key regulator of AR-V7 transcriptional activity and stability in CRPC cells. DBC1 functions as a coactivator for AR-V7 and is required for the expression of AR-V7 target genes including CDH2, a mesenchymal marker linked to CRPC progression. DBC1 is required for recruitment of AR-V7 to its target enhancers and for long-range chromatin looping between the CDH2 enhancer and promoter. Mechanistically, DBC1 enhances DNA-binding activity of AR-V7 by direct interaction and inhibits CHIP E3 ligase-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of AR-V7 by competing with CHIP for AR-V7 binding, thereby stabilizing and activating AR-V7. Importantly, DBC1 depletion suppresses the tumorigenic and metastatic properties of CRPC cells. Our results firmly establish DBC1 as a critical AR-V7 coactivator that plays a key role in the regulation of DNA binding and stability of AR-V7 and has an important physiological role in CRPC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Jin Moon
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Byong Chang Jeong
- Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hwa Jin Kim
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joung Eun Lim
- Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ghee Young Kwon
- Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeong Hoon Kim
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
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