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Fang B, Lu Y, Li X, Wei Y, Ye D, Wei G, Zhu Y. Targeting the tumor microenvironment, a new therapeutic approach for prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2024:10.1038/s41391-024-00825-z. [PMID: 38565910 DOI: 10.1038/s41391-024-00825-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing number of studies have shown that in addition to adaptive immune cells such as CD8 + T cells and CD4 + T cells, various other cellular components within prostate cancer (PCa) tumor microenvironment (TME), mainly tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), have been increasingly recognized as important modulators of tumor progression and promising therapeutic targets. OBJECTIVE In this review, we aim to delineate the mechanisms by which TAMs, CAFs and MDSCs interact with PCa cells in the TME, summarize the therapeutic advancements targeting these cells and discuss potential new therapeutic avenues. METHODS We searched PubMed for relevant studies published through December 10 2023 on TAMs, CAFs and MDSCs in PCa. RESULTS TAMs, CAFs and MDSCs play a critical role in the tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis of PCa. Moreover, they substantially mediate therapeutic resistance against conventional treatments including anti-androgen therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Therapeutic interventions targeting these cellular components have demonstrated promising effects in preclinical models and several clinical trials for PCa, when administrated alone, or combined with other anti-cancer therapies. However, the lack of reliable biomarkers for patient selection and incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interactions between these cellular components and PCa cells hinder their clinical translation and utility. CONCLUSION New therapeutic strategies targeting TAMs, CAFs, and MDSCs in PCa hold promising prospects. Future research endeavors should focus on a more comprehensive exploration of the specific mechanisms by which these cells contribute to PCa, aiming to identify additional drug targets and conduct more clinical trials to validate the safety and efficacy of these treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bangwei Fang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying Lu
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomeng Li
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yu Wei
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Dingwei Ye
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Gonghong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Zhu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Transcriptomic Signature and Growth Factor Regulation of Castration-Tolerant Prostate Luminal Progenitor Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153775. [PMID: 35954439 PMCID: PMC9367377 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remain poorly understood. LSCmed cells defines an FACS-enriched population of castration-tolerant luminal progenitor cells that has been proposed to promote tumorigenesis and CRPC in Pten-deficient mice. The goals of this study were to assess the relevance of LSCmed cells through the analysis of their molecular proximity with luminal progenitor-like cell clusters identified by single-cell (sc)RNA-seq analyses of mouse and human prostates, and to investigate their regulation by in silico-predicted growth factors present in the prostatic microenvironment. Methods: Several bioinformatic pipelines were used for pan-transcriptomic analyses. LSCmed cells isolated by cell sorting from healthy and malignant mouse prostates were characterized using RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence and organoid assays. Results: LSCmed cells match (i) mouse luminal progenitor cell clusters identified in scRNA-seq analyses for which we provide a common 15-gene signature including the previously identified LSCmed marker Krt4, and (ii) Club/Hillock cells of the human prostate. This transcriptional overlap was maintained in cancer contexts. EGFR/ERBB4, IGF-1R and MET pathways were identified as autocrine/paracrine regulators of progenitor, proliferation and differentiation properties of LSCmed cells. The functional redundancy of these signaling pathways allows them to bypass the effect of receptor-targeted pharmacological inhibitors. Conclusions: Based on transcriptomic profile and pharmacological resistance to monotherapies that failed in CRPC patients, this study supports LSCmed cells as a relevant model to investigate the role of castration-tolerant progenitor cells in human prostate cancer progression.
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Zhong S, Peng S, Chen Z, Chen Z, Luo JL. Choosing Kinase Inhibitors for Androgen Deprivation Therapy-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:498. [PMID: 35335873 PMCID: PMC8950316 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a systemic therapy for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Although most patients initially respond to ADT, almost all cancers eventually develop castration resistance. Castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) is associated with a very poor prognosis, and the treatment of which is a serious clinical challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that abnormal expression and activation of various kinases are associated with the emergence and maintenance of CRPC. Many efforts have been made to develop small molecule inhibitors to target the key kinases in CRPC. These inhibitors are designed to suppress the kinase activity or interrupt kinase-mediated signal pathways that are associated with PCa androgen-independent (AI) growth and CRPC development. In this review, we briefly summarize the roles of the kinases that are abnormally expressed and/or activated in CRPC and the recent advances in the development of small molecule inhibitors that target kinases for the treatment of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangwei Zhong
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan 410008, China; (S.Z.); (S.P.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33459, USA
| | - Shoujiao Peng
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan 410008, China; (S.Z.); (S.P.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33459, USA
| | - Zihua Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan 410008, China; (S.Z.); (S.P.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zhikang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan 410008, China; (S.Z.); (S.P.); (Z.C.)
| | - Jun-Li Luo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33459, USA
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Anton A, Pillai S, Semira MC, Wong S, Shapiro J, Weickhardt A, Azad A, Kwan EM, Spain L, Gunjur A, Torres J, Parente P, Parnis F, Goh J, Baenziger O, Gibbs P, Tran B. Real‐world first‐line systemic therapy patterns in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer. BJUI COMPASS 2021; 3:205-213. [PMID: 35492221 PMCID: PMC9045563 DOI: 10.1002/bco2.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Angelyn Anton
- Division of Personalised Medicine Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology Eastern Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology Monash Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Sruti Pillai
- Department of Medical Oncology Olivia Newton‐John Cancer and Wellness and Research Centre Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Marie Christine Semira
- Division of Personalised Medicine Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Shirley Wong
- Department of Medical Oncology Western Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | | | - Andrew Weickhardt
- Department of Medical Oncology Olivia Newton‐John Cancer and Wellness and Research Centre Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Arun Azad
- Department of Medical Oncology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Edmond M. Kwan
- Department of Medical Oncology Monash Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Lavinia Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology Eastern Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Ashray Gunjur
- Department of Medical Oncology Olivia Newton‐John Cancer and Wellness and Research Centre Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Javier Torres
- Department of Medical Oncology Goulburn Valley Health Shepparton Victoria Australia
| | - Phillip Parente
- Department of Medical Oncology Eastern Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Francis Parnis
- Department of Medical Oncology Adelaide Cancer Centre Adelaide South Australia Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Jeffrey Goh
- Department of Medical Oncology Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Olivia Baenziger
- Division of Personalised Medicine Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Peter Gibbs
- Division of Personalised Medicine Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology Western Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Ben Tran
- Division of Personalised Medicine Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne Victoria Australia
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Scirocchi F, Napoletano C, Pace A, Rahimi Koshkaki H, Di Filippo A, Zizzari IG, Nuti M, Rughetti A. Immunogenic Cell Death and Immunomodulatory Effects of Cabozantinib. Front Oncol 2021; 11:755433. [PMID: 34745989 PMCID: PMC8564482 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.755433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cabozantinib (XL-184) is a multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) involved in oncogenesis and angiogenesis. It is currently the standard therapy for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Combination of Cabozantinib with immunotherapy is now a standard treatment in metastatic renal cancer, and its efficacy is being tested in ongoing clinical trial in prostate cancer patients. Here, we report that Cabozantinib may exert an immunostimulatory role by inducing immunogenic stress of prostate cancer cells and directly modulating dendritic cells (DCs). Cabozantinib treatment arrested the cell cycle and triggered immunogenic cell death (ICD) in prostate cancer cells in vitro. Cabozantinib had a direct effect on DCs by the down-modulation of β-catenin and change in migratory and costimulatory phenotype of the DCs. These results may suggest possible immunomodulatory effects induced by Cabozantinib that could be exploited to optimize patient-tailored immunotherapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Napoletano
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Aurelia Rughetti
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Chau V, Madan RA, Aragon-Ching JB. Protein kinase inhibitors for the treatment of prostate cancer. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 22:1889-1899. [PMID: 33989112 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1925250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Protein kinases have emerged as targetable pathways used in metastatic prostate cancer given their role in prostatic tumor growth, proliferation and metastases. Protein kinase inhibitors are small molecules that target varying pathways including the breakpoint cluster region (BCR)-Abelson tyrosine kinase (ABL), colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor (VEGFR) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways and have been studied in prostate cancer trials with variable results. In particular, cabozantinib when used in combination trials and ipatasertib, when used with abiraterone in patients who harbor phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) loss, have been promising. AREAS COVERED This article reviews the key early and late phase clinical trials currently investigating the use of protein kinase inhibitors in prostate cancer. EXPERT OPINION While multiple kinase inhibitors show promising results in prostate cancer, none have yet garnered Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Studies are ongoing with the best candidate drugs discussed herein. However, multiple drugs have failed primary endpoints in prostate cancer. Therefore, further understanding of the potential mechanisms of resistance, combination and trial design of combination therapy may help pave the way for targeting kinase inhibition in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Chau
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ravi A Madan
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeanny B Aragon-Ching
- Genitourinary Cancers, Inova Medical Group, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Fairfax, VA, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia University School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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