1
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Rahman R, Rahaman MH, Hanson AR, Choo N, Xie J, Townley SL, Shrestha R, Hassankhani R, Islam S, Ramm S, Simpson KJ, Risbridger GP, Best G, Centenera MM, Balk SP, Kichenadasse G, Taylor RA, Butler LM, Tilley WD, Conn SJ, Lawrence MG, Wang S, Selth LA. CDK9 inhibition inhibits multiple oncogenic transcriptional and epigenetic pathways in prostate cancer. Br J Cancer 2024:10.1038/s41416-024-02810-8. [PMID: 39117800 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02810-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) stimulates oncogenic transcriptional pathways in cancer and CDK9 inhibitors have emerged as promising therapeutic candidates. METHODS The activity of an orally bioavailable CDK9 inhibitor, CDKI-73, was evaluated in prostate cancer cell lines, a xenograft mouse model, and patient-derived tumor explants and organoids. Expression of CDK9 was evaluated in clinical specimens by mining public datasets and immunohistochemistry. Effects of CDKI-73 on prostate cancer cells were determined by cell-based assays, molecular profiling and transcriptomic/epigenomic approaches. RESULTS CDKI-73 inhibited proliferation and enhanced cell death in diverse in vitro and in vivo models of androgen receptor (AR)-driven and AR-independent models. Mechanistically, CDKI-73-mediated inhibition of RNA polymerase II serine 2 phosphorylation resulted in reduced expression of BCL-2 anti-apoptotic factors and transcriptional defects. Transcriptomic and epigenomic approaches revealed that CDKI-73 suppressed signaling pathways regulated by AR, MYC, and BRD4, key drivers of dysregulated transcription in prostate cancer, and reprogrammed cancer-associated super-enhancers. These latter findings prompted the evaluation of CDKI-73 with the BRD4 inhibitor AZD5153, a combination that was synergistic in patient-derived organoids and in vivo. CONCLUSION Our work demonstrates that CDK9 inhibition disrupts multiple oncogenic pathways and positions CDKI-73 as a promising therapeutic agent for prostate cancer, particularly aggressive, therapy-resistant subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia Rahman
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Muhammed H Rahaman
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Adrienne R Hanson
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Nicholas Choo
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jianling Xie
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Scott L Townley
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Raj Shrestha
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Flinders University, Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Ramin Hassankhani
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Saiful Islam
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Susanne Ramm
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kaylene J Simpson
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Gail P Risbridger
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Giles Best
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Margaret M Centenera
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Steven P Balk
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ganessan Kichenadasse
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Flinders Medical Centre, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, South Australia
| | - Renea A Taylor
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Lisa M Butler
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Wayne D Tilley
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Simon J Conn
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Mitchell G Lawrence
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Shudong Wang
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Luke A Selth
- Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
- Flinders University, Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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2
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Valentín López JC, Lange CA, Dehm SM. Androgen receptor and estrogen receptor variants in prostate and breast cancers. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 241:106522. [PMID: 38641298 PMCID: PMC11139604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) are steroid receptor transcription factors with critical roles in the development and progression of prostate and breast cancers. Advances in the understanding of mechanisms underlying the ligand-dependent activation of these transcription factors have contributed to the development of small molecule inhibitors that block AR and ERα actions. These inhibitors include competitive antagonists and degraders that directly bind the ligand binding domains of these receptors, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs that suppress gonadal synthesis of testosterone or estrogen, and drugs that block specific enzymes required for biosynthesis of testosterone or estrogen. However, resistance to these therapies is frequent, and is often driven by selection for tumor cells with alterations in the AR or ESR1 genes and/or alternatively spliced AR or ESR1 mRNAs that encode variant forms AR or ERα. While most investigations involving AR have been within the context of prostate cancer, and the majority of investigations involving ERα have been within the context of breast cancer, important roles for AR have been elucidated in breast cancer, and important roles for ERα have been elucidated in prostate cancer. Here, we will discuss the roles of AR and ERα in breast and prostate cancers, outline the effects of gene- and mRNA-level alterations in AR and ESR1 on progression of these diseases, and identify strategies that are being developed to target these alterations therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carol A Lange
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Medicine-Hematology, Oncology & Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Scott M Dehm
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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3
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Nazir SU, Mishra J, Maurya SK, Ziamiavaghi N, Bodas S, Teply BA, Dutta S, Datta K. Deciphering the genetic and epigenetic architecture of prostate cancer. Adv Cancer Res 2024; 161:191-221. [PMID: 39032950 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2024.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Prostate cancer, one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in men, leads to significant mortality worldwide. Its study is important due to the complexity and diversity in its progression, highlighting the urgent need for improved therapeutic strategies. This chapter probes into the genetic and epigenetic factors influencing prostate cancer progression, underscoring the importance of understanding the disease's molecular fundamentals for the development of targeted therapies. It specifically reviews the role of key genetic mutations in genes such as Androgen Receptor, TP53, SPOP, FOXA1 and PTEN which are crucial for the disease onset and a progression. Furthermore, it examines the impact of epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modification, which contribute to the cancer's progression by affecting gene expression and cellular behavior. Further, in this chapter we delve into the underlying signaling mechanism, the advancements in targeting genetic and epigenetic alterations in prostate cancer. These findings have revealed promising targets for therapeutic advancements, aiming to understand and identify promising avenues for future therapies. This chapter improves our current understanding of prostate cancer genetic and epigenetic landscape, emphasizing the necessity of advancing our knowledge to refine and expand treatment options for prostate cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeraz Un Nazir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Massy Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Juhi Mishra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Massy Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Shailendra Kumar Maurya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Massy Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Negin Ziamiavaghi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Massy Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Sanika Bodas
- Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Benjamin A Teply
- Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology & Hematology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Samikshan Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Massy Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kaustubh Datta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Massy Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
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4
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Li J, Hilimire TA, Liu Y, Wang L, Liang J, Gyorffy B, Sikirzhytski V, Ji H, Zhang L, Cheng C, Ding X, Kerr KR, Dowling CE, Chumanevich AA, Mack ZT, Schools GP, Lim CU, Ellis L, Zi X, Porter DC, Broude EV, McInnes C, Wilding G, Lilly MB, Roninson IB, Chen M. Mediator kinase inhibition reverses castration resistance of advanced prostate cancer. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e176709. [PMID: 38546787 DOI: 10.1172/jci176709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Mediator kinases CDK19 and CDK8, pleiotropic regulators of transcriptional reprogramming, are differentially regulated by androgen signaling, but both kinases are upregulated in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of CDK8 and CDK19 reverses the castration-resistant phenotype and restores the sensitivity of CRPC xenografts to androgen deprivation in vivo. Prolonged CDK8/19 inhibitor treatment combined with castration not only suppressed the growth of CRPC xenografts but also induced tumor regression and cures. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that Mediator kinase inhibition amplified and modulated the effects of castration on gene expression, disrupting CRPC adaptation to androgen deprivation. Mediator kinase inactivation in tumor cells also affected stromal gene expression, indicating that Mediator kinase activity in CRPC molded the tumor microenvironment. The combination of castration and Mediator kinase inhibition downregulated the MYC pathway, and Mediator kinase inhibition suppressed a MYC-driven CRPC tumor model even without castration. CDK8/19 inhibitors showed efficacy in patient-derived xenograft models of CRPC, and a gene signature of Mediator kinase activity correlated with tumor progression and overall survival in clinical samples of metastatic CRPC. These results indicate that Mediator kinases mediated androgen-independent in vivo growth of CRPC, supporting the development of CDK8/19 inhibitors for the treatment of this presently incurable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas A Hilimire
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Senex Biotechnology Inc., Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Yueying Liu
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lili Wang
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jiaxin Liang
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Balazs Gyorffy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Vitali Sikirzhytski
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Hao Ji
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Chen Cheng
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Xiaokai Ding
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Kendall R Kerr
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Charles E Dowling
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Alexander A Chumanevich
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary T Mack
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Gary P Schools
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Chang-Uk Lim
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Leigh Ellis
- Center for Prostate Disease Research, Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc.; Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiaolin Zi
- Departments of Urology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | - Eugenia V Broude
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Campbell McInnes
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Michael B Lilly
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Igor B Roninson
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Mengqian Chen
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Senex Biotechnology Inc., Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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5
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Abdulsamad SA, Naeem AA, Zeng H, He G, Jin X, Alenezi BA, Ai J, Zhang J, Ma H, Rudland PS, Ke Y. Experimental treatment efficacy of dmrFABP5 on prostate cancer singly or in combination with drugs in use. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:300-323. [PMID: 38323289 PMCID: PMC10839311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Enzalutamide is a drug used to treat prostate cancer (PC) and docetaxel is a drug for chemotherapeutic treatment of diverse cancer types, including PC. The effectiveness of these drugs in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is poor and therefore CRPC is still largely incurable. However, the bio-inhibitor of fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5), dmrFABP5, which is a mutant form of FABP5 incapable of binding to fatty acids, has been shown recently to be able to suppress the tumorigenicity and metastasis of cultured CRPC cells. The present study investigated the possible synergistic effect of dmrFABP5 combined with either enzalutamide or docetaxel on suppressing the tumorigenic properties of PC cells, including cell viability, migration, invasion and colony proliferation in soft agar. A highly significant synergistic inhibitory effect on these properties was observed when dmrFABP5 was used in combination with enzalutamide on androgen-responsive PC 22RV1 cells. Moreover, a highly significant synergistic inhibitory effect was also observed when dmrFABP5 was combined with docetaxel, and added to 22RV1 cells and to the highly malignant, androgen-receptor (AR)-negative Du145 cells. DmrFABP5 alone failed to produce any suppressive effect when added to the FABP5-negative cell line LNCaP, although enzalutamide could significantly suppress LNCaP cells when used as a single agent. These synergistic inhibitory effects of dmrFABP5 were produced by interrupting the FABP5-related signal transduction pathway in PC cells. Thus, dmrFABP5 appears to be not only a potential single therapeutic agent, but it may also be used in combination with existing drugs to suppress both AR-positive and AR-negative PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saud A Abdulsamad
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Liverpool UniversityCRC Building, No. 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK
| | - Abdulghani A Naeem
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Liverpool UniversityCRC Building, No. 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK
| | - Hao Zeng
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Gang He
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Liverpool UniversityCRC Building, No. 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK
- Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Chengdu UniversityChengdu 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Xi Jin
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Bandar A Alenezi
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Liverpool UniversityCRC Building, No. 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK
| | - Jianzhong Ai
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiacheng Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Liverpool UniversityCRC Building, No. 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK
| | - Hongwen Ma
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Philip S Rudland
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems BiologyBioscience Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Youqiang Ke
- Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityNo. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Liverpool UniversityCRC Building, No. 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK
- Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Chengdu UniversityChengdu 610081, Sichuan, China
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6
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Zivanovic A, Miller J, Munro S, Knutson T, Li Y, Passow C, Simonaitis P, Lynch M, Oseth L, Zhao S, Feng F, Wikström P, Corey E, Morrissey C, Henzler C, Raphael B, Dehm S. Co-evolution of AR gene copy number and structural complexity in endocrine therapy resistant prostate cancer. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad045. [PMID: 37636316 PMCID: PMC10448862 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) inhibition is standard of care for advanced prostate cancer (PC). However, efficacy is limited by progression to castration-resistant PC (CRPC), usually due to AR re-activation via mechanisms that include AR amplification and structural rearrangement. These two classes of AR alterations often co-occur in CRPC tumors, but it is unclear whether this reflects intercellular or intracellular heterogeneity of AR. Resolving this is important for developing new therapies and predictive biomarkers. Here, we analyzed 41 CRPC tumors and 6 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) using linked-read DNA-sequencing, and identified 7 tumors that developed complex, multiply-rearranged AR gene structures in conjunction with very high AR copy number. Analysis of PDX models by optical genome mapping and fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that AR residing on extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) was an underlying mechanism, and was associated with elevated levels and diversity of AR expression. This study identifies co-evolution of AR gene copy number and structural complexity via ecDNA as a mechanism associated with endocrine therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Zivanovic
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Miller
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sarah A Munro
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Todd P Knutson
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yingming Li
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Courtney N Passow
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Pijus Simonaitis
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Molly Lynch
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - LeAnn Oseth
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Shuang G Zhao
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Felix Y Feng
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Urology, and Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Pernilla Wikström
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Colm Morrissey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine Henzler
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Benjamin J Raphael
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Scott M Dehm
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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7
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Katleba KD, Ghosh PM, Mudryj M. Beyond Prostate Cancer: An Androgen Receptor Splice Variant Expression in Multiple Malignancies, Non-Cancer Pathologies, and Development. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2215. [PMID: 37626712 PMCID: PMC10452427 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of androgen receptor (AR) splice variants (SVs) in the progression of prostate cancer to the castration-resistant phenotype and their utility as a diagnostic. However, studies on AR expression in non-prostatic malignancies uncovered that AR-SVs are expressed in glioblastoma, breast, salivary, bladder, kidney, and liver cancers, where they have diverse roles in tumorigenesis. AR-SVs also have roles in non-cancer pathologies. In granulosa cells from women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, unique AR-SVs lead to an increase in androgen production. In patients with nonobstructive azoospermia, testicular Sertoli cells exhibit differential expression of AR-SVs, which is associated with impaired spermatogenesis. Moreover, AR-SVs have been identified in normal cells, including blood mononuclear cells, neuronal lipid rafts, and the placenta. The detection and characterization of AR-SVs in mammalian and non-mammalian species argue that AR-SV expression is evolutionarily conserved and that AR-SV-dependent signaling is a fundamental regulatory feature in multiple cellular contexts. These discoveries argue that alternative splicing of the AR transcript is a commonly used mechanism that leads to an expansion in the repertoire of signaling molecules needed in certain tissues. Various malignancies appropriate this mechanism of alternative AR splicing to acquire a proliferative and survival advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley D. Katleba
- Veterans Affairs-Northern California Health Care System, 10535 Hospital Way, Mather, CA 95655, USA; (K.D.K.); (P.M.G.)
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 1 Shields Avenue, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Paramita M. Ghosh
- Veterans Affairs-Northern California Health Care System, 10535 Hospital Way, Mather, CA 95655, USA; (K.D.K.); (P.M.G.)
- Department of Urologic Surgery, 4860 Y Street, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA 95718, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, 1 Shields Avenue, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Maria Mudryj
- Veterans Affairs-Northern California Health Care System, 10535 Hospital Way, Mather, CA 95655, USA; (K.D.K.); (P.M.G.)
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 1 Shields Avenue, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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8
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Yi Q, Liu W, Seo JH, Su J, Alaoui-Jamali MA, Luo J, Lin R, Wu JH. Discovery of a Small-Molecule Inhibitor Targeting the Androgen Receptor N-Terminal Domain for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:570-582. [PMID: 37139712 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The current mainstay therapeutic strategy for advanced prostate cancer is to suppress androgen receptor (AR) signaling. However, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) invariably arises with restored AR signaling activity. To date, the AR ligand-binding domain (LBD) is the only targeted region for all clinically available AR signaling antagonists, such as enzalutamide (ENZ). Major resistance mechanisms have been uncovered to sustain the AR signaling in CRPC despite these treatments, including AR amplification, AR LBD mutants, and the emergence of AR splice variants (AR-Vs) such as AR-V7. AR-V7 is a constitutively active truncated form of AR that lacks the LBD; thus, it can not be inhibited by AR LBD-targeting drugs. Therefore, an approach to inhibit AR through the regions outside of LBD is urgently needed. In this study, we have discovered a novel small molecule SC428, which directly binds to the AR N-terminal domain (NTD) and exhibits pan-AR inhibitory effect. SC428 potently decreased the transactivation of AR-V7, ARv567es, as well as full-length AR (AR-FL) and its LBD mutants. SC428 substantially suppressed androgen-stimulated AR-FL nuclear translocation, chromatin binding, and AR-regulated gene transcription. Moreover, SC428 also significantly attenuated AR-V7-mediated AR signaling that does not rely on androgen, hampered AR-V7 nuclear localization, and disrupted AR-V7 homodimerization. SC428 inhibited in vitro proliferation and in vivo tumor growth of cells that expressed a high level of AR-V7 and were unresponsive to ENZ treatment. Together, these results indicated the potential therapeutic benefits of AR-NTD targeting for overcoming drug resistance in CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhui Yi
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Weiguo Liu
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jung Hwa Seo
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jie Su
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Moulay A Alaoui-Jamali
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jun Luo
- Urology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rongtuan Lin
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jian Hui Wu
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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9
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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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10
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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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11
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Fan L, Sudeep K, Qi J. Histone Demethylase KDM3 (JMJD1) in Transcriptional Regulation and Cancer Progression. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1433:69-86. [PMID: 37751136 PMCID: PMC11052651 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-38176-8_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) is a repressive histone mark and associated with inhibition of gene expression. KDM3 is a subfamily of the JmjC histone demethylases. It specifically removes the mono- or di-methyl marks from H3K9 and thus contributes to activation of gene expression. KDM3 subfamily includes three members: KDM3A, KDM3B and KDM3C. As KDM3A (also known as JMJD1A or JHDM2A) is the best studied, this chapter will mainly focus on the role of KDM3A-mediated gene regulation in the biology of normal and cancer cells. Knockout mouse studies have revealed that KDM3A plays a role in the physiological processes such as spermatogenesis, metabolism and sex determination. KDM3A is upregulated in several types of cancers and has been shown to promote cancer development, progression and metastasis. KDM3A can enhance the expression or activity of transcription factors through its histone demethylase activity, thereby altering the transcriptional program and promoting cancer cell proliferation and survival. We conclude that KDM3A may serve as a promising target for anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Fan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Khadka Sudeep
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Jianfei Qi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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12
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Inhibition of Mps1 kinase enhances taxanes efficacy in castration resistant prostate cancer. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:868. [PMID: 36229449 PMCID: PMC9561175 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05312-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Androgen ablation therapy is the standard of care for newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PC) patients. PC that relapsed after hormonal therapy, referred to as castration-resistant PC (CRPC), often presents with metastasis (mCRPC) and is the major cause of disease lethality. The few available therapies for mCRPC include the Taxanes Docetaxel (DTX) and Cabazitaxel (CBZ). Alas, clinical success of Taxanes in mCRPC is limited by high intrinsic and acquired resistance. Therefore, it remains essential to develop rationally designed treatments for managing therapy-resistant mCRPC disease. The major effect of Taxanes on microtubule hyper-polymerization is a prolonged mitotic block due to activation of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC). Taxane-sensitive cells eventually inactivate SAC and exit mitosis by mitotic catastrophe, resulting in genome instability and blockade of proliferation. Resistant cells remain in mitotic block, and, upon drug decay, resume mitosis and proliferation, underlying one resistance mechanism. In our study we explored the possibility of forced mitotic exit to elevate Taxane efficacy. Inactivation of the SAC component, mitotic checkpoint kinase Mps1/TTK with a small molecule inhibitor (Msp1i), potentiated efficacy of Taxanes treatment in both 2D cell culture and 3D prostasphere settings. Mechanistically, Mps1 inhibition forced mitotic catastrophe in cells blocked in mitosis by Taxanes. Androgen receptor (AR), the main driver of PC, is often mutated or truncated in mCRPC. Remarkably, Mps1i significantly potentiated CBZ cytotoxicity regardless of AR status, in both AR-WT and in AR-truncated CRPC cells. Overall, our data demonstrate that forced mitotic exit by Mps1 inhibition potentiates Taxanes efficacy. Given that several Mps1i's are currently in different stages of clinical trials, our results point to Mps1 as a new therapeutic target to potentiate efficacy of Taxanes in mCRPC patients.
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13
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Jinna N, Rida P, Smart M, LaBarge M, Jovanovic-Talisman T, Natarajan R, Seewaldt V. Adaptation to Hypoxia May Promote Therapeutic Resistance to Androgen Receptor Inhibition in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168844. [PMID: 36012111 PMCID: PMC9408190 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) surpasses other BC subtypes as the most challenging to treat due to its lack of traditional BC biomarkers. Nearly 30% of TNBC patients express the androgen receptor (AR), and the blockade of androgen production and AR signaling have been the cornerstones of therapies for AR-positive TNBC. However, the majority of women are resistant to AR-targeted therapy, which is a major impediment to improving outcomes for the AR-positive TNBC subpopulation. The hypoxia signaling cascade is frequently activated in the tumor microenvironment in response to low oxygen levels; activation of the hypoxia signaling cascade allows tumors to survive despite hypoxia-mediated interference with cellular metabolism. The activation of hypoxia signaling networks in TNBC promotes resistance to most anticancer drugs including AR inhibitors. The activation of hypoxia network signaling occurs more frequently in TNBC compared to other BC subtypes. Herein, we examine the (1) interplay between hypoxia signaling networks and AR and (2) whether hypoxia and hypoxic stress adaptive pathways promote the emergence of resistance to therapies that target AR. We also pose the well-supported question, “Can the efficacy of androgen-/AR-targeted treatments be enhanced by co-targeting hypoxia?” By critically examining the evidence and the complex entwinement of these two oncogenic pathways, we argue that the simultaneous targeting of androgen biosynthesis/AR signaling and hypoxia may enhance the sensitivity of AR-positive TNBCs to AR-targeted treatments, derail the emergence of therapy resistance, and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Jinna
- Department of Population Science, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | | | - Max Smart
- Rowland Hall, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, USA
| | - Mark LaBarge
- Department of Population Science, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | | | - Rama Natarajan
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Victoria Seewaldt
- Department of Population Science, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Correspondence:
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14
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Chen Y, Zhou Q, Hankey W, Fang X, Yuan F. Second generation androgen receptor antagonists and challenges in prostate cancer treatment. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:632. [PMID: 35864113 PMCID: PMC9304354 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05084-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a hormone-dependent malignancy, whose onset and progression are closely related to the activity of the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. Due to this critical role of AR signaling in driving prostate cancer, therapy targeting the AR pathway has been the mainstay strategy for metastatic prostate cancer treatment. The utility of these agents has expanded with the emergence of second-generation AR antagonists, which began with the approval of enzalutamide in 2012 by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Together with apalutamide and darolutamide, which were approved in 2018 and 2019, respectively, these agents have improved the survival of patients with prostate cancer, with applications for both androgen-dependent and castration-resistant disease. While patients receiving these drugs receive a benefit in the form of prolonged survival, they are not cured and ultimately progress to lethal neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Here we summarize the current state of AR antagonist development and highlight the emerging challenges of their clinical application and the potential resistance mechanisms, which might be addressed by combination therapies or the development of novel AR-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhua Chen
- grid.412540.60000 0001 2372 7462Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Qianqian Zhou
- grid.412540.60000 0001 2372 7462Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - William Hankey
- grid.10698.360000000122483208Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Xiaosheng Fang
- grid.460018.b0000 0004 1769 9639Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 271000 Jinan, Shandong China
| | - Fuwen Yuan
- grid.412540.60000 0001 2372 7462Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 201203 Shanghai, China
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15
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Quick J, Santos ND, Cheng MHY, Chander N, Brimacombe CA, Kulkarni J, van der Meel R, Tam YYC, Witzigmann D, Cullis PR. Lipid nanoparticles to silence androgen receptor variants for prostate cancer therapy. J Control Release 2022; 349:174-183. [PMID: 35780952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Advanced-stage prostate cancer remains an incurable disease with poor patient prognosis. There is an unmet clinical need to target androgen receptor (AR) splice variants, which are key drivers of the disease. Some AR splice variants are insensitive to conventional hormonal or androgen deprivation therapy due to loss of the androgen ligand binding domain at the C-terminus and are constitutively active. Here we explore the use of RNA interference (RNAi) to target a universally conserved region of all AR splice variants for cleavage and degradation, thereby eliminating protein level resistance mechanisms. To this end, we tested five siRNA sequences designed against exon 1 of the AR mRNA and identified several that induced potent knockdown of full-length and truncated variant ARs in the 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cell line. We then demonstrated that 2'O methyl modification of the top candidate siRNA (siARvm) enhanced AR and AR-V7 mRNA silencing potency in both 22Rv1 and LNCaP cells, which represent two different prostate cancer models. For downstream in vivo delivery, we formulated siARvm-LNPs and functionally validated these in vitro by demonstrating knockdown of AR and AR-V7 mRNA in prostate cancer cells and loss of AR-mediated transcriptional activation of the PSA gene in both cell lines following treatment. We also observed that siARvm-LNP induced cell viability inhibition was more potent compared to LNP containing siRNA targeting full-length AR mRNA (siARfl-LNP) in 22Rv1 cells as their proliferation is more dependent on AR splice variants than LNCaP and PC3 cells. The in vivo biodistribution of siARvm-LNPs was determined in 22Rv1 tumor-bearing mice by incorporating 14C-radiolabelled DSPC in LNP formulation, and we observed a 4.4% ID/g tumor accumulation following intravenous administration. Finally, treatment of 22Rv1 tumor bearing mice with siARvm-LNP resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition and survival benefit compared to siARfl-LNP or the siLUC-LNP control. To best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating therapeutic effects of LNP-siRNA targeting AR splice variants in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joslyn Quick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Nancy Dos Santos
- BC Cancer Research Institute, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Miffy H Y Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Nisha Chander
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Cedric A Brimacombe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jayesh Kulkarni
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Roy van der Meel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Yuen Yi C Tam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Dominik Witzigmann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Pieter R Cullis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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16
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TR3 Enhances AR Variant Production and Transactivation, Promoting Androgen Independence of Prostate Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081911. [PMID: 35454821 PMCID: PMC9031921 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081911] [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: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Advanced prostate cancer development is associated with androgen-independent AR signaling. TR3 overexpression alters AR expression, splicing process, and transactivation towards increasing the androgen independence of AR signaling in prostate cancer cells. These results suggest that TR3 is a pivotal factor in the progression of prostate cancer to advanced form. Abstract The pro-oncogenic function of TR3, an orphan nuclear receptor, has been reported in prostate cancer. However, the roles of TR3 in androgen receptor (AR) expression and signaling in prostate cancer cells are poorly understood. Database analysis revealed that TR3 expression level is elevated in prostate tumors, and is positively, although weakly, correlated with that of AR. TR3 overexpression increased the production of AR splice variants in addition to general upregulation of AR expression. TR3 interacted with some spliceosomal complex components and AR precursor mRNA, altering the splice junction rates between exons. TR3 also enhanced androgen-independent AR function. Furthermore, TR3 overexpression increased cell proliferation and mobility of AR-positive prostate cancer cells and stimulated tumorigenesis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells in mouse xenograft models. This is the first study to report that TR3 is a multifunctional regulator of AR signaling in prostate cancer cells. TR3 alters AR expression, splicing process, and activity in prostate cancer cells, increasing the androgen independence of AR signaling. Therefore, TR3 may play a crucial role in the progression of prostate cancer to an advanced castration-resistant form.
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17
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Chung C, Abboud K. Targeting the androgen receptor signaling pathway in advanced prostate cancer. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2022; 79:1224-1235. [PMID: 35390118 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxac105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DISCLAIMER In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. PURPOSE This article summarizes current androgen receptor (AR)-directed therapies that have received regulatory approval for the treatment of advanced prostate adenocarcinoma (herein referred to as prostate cancer, PC). SUMMARY PC is an androgen-dependent malignancy in which ligands including testosterone and dihydrotestosterone bind to AR, initiating androgen-AR complex translocation to the nucleus followed by AR-mediated transcription of target genes. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), including gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists with or without AR antagonists (antiandrogens), GnRH antagonists, or bilateral orchiectomy, forms the backbone of treatment for patients with metastatic castration-naive PC and/or castration-resistant PC (CRPC). ADT is also an option for high-risk, early-stage PC after prostatectomy and/or radiation. While ADT is often very effective as initial therapy, resistance ultimately develops despite suppression of gonadal and/or adrenal androgens, leading to CRCPC, which is characterized by mechanisms such as reactivation of the AR signaling pathway, AR overexpression, and gene mutations in the ligand-binding domain of AR that lead to disease progression, resulting in increased symptom burden and ultimately death. However, disease in patients with CRPC is still dependent on androgen signaling, and these patients continue on ADT to maintain a castrate level of serum testosterone. Novel hormonal therapies including agents that target AR directly (eg, AR antagonists) are often added to ADT in this setting. Targeting the AR signaling pathway led to the development of second-generation AR antagonists, examples of which include enzalutamide, apalutamide, and darolutamide. These agents do not exhibit partial agonism or possess a higher affinity for AR and are not postulated to improve survival outcomes relative to their first-generation counterparts for patients with CRPC. Lastly, the emergence of ADT, including second-generation AR antagonists, has led to the development of supportive care for treatment-related adverse effects. CONCLUSION Major advances have been made in targeting the AR signaling pathway in patients with advanced PC. Further studies are warranted to identify the optimal sequencing of therapies to maximize treatment benefit. Mitigation of treatment-related adverse effects presents new opportunities to advance clinical pharmacy practice.
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18
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Cistrome and transcriptome analysis identifies unique androgen receptor (AR) and AR-V7 splice variant chromatin binding and transcriptional activities. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5351. [PMID: 35354884 PMCID: PMC8969163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) splice variant, AR-V7, plays an important role in resistance to androgen deprivation therapy in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Studies seeking to determine whether AR-V7 is a partial mimic of the AR, or also has unique activities, and whether the AR-V7 cistrome contains unique binding sites have yielded conflicting results. One limitation in many studies has been the low level of AR variant compared to AR. Here, LNCaP and VCaP cell lines in which AR-V7 expression can be induced to match the level of AR, were used to compare the activities of AR and AR-V7. The two AR isoforms shared many targets, but overall had distinct transcriptomes. Optimal induction of novel targets sometimes required more receptor isoform than classical targets such as PSA. The isoforms displayed remarkably different cistromes with numerous differential binding sites. Some of the unique AR-V7 sites were located proximal to the transcription start sites (TSS). A de novo binding motif similar to a half ARE was identified in many AR-V7 preferential sites and, in contrast to conventional half ARE sites that bind AR-V7, FOXA1 was not enriched at these sites. This supports the concept that the AR isoforms have unique actions with the potential to serve as biomarkers or novel therapeutic targets.
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19
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Targeting a splicing-mediated drug resistance mechanism in prostate cancer by inhibiting transcriptional regulation by PKCβ1. Oncogene 2022; 41:1536-1549. [PMID: 35087237 PMCID: PMC8913362 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02179-z] [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: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is a central driver of aggressive prostate cancer. After initial treatment with androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSi), reactivation of AR signaling leads to resistance. Alternative splicing of AR mRNA yields the AR-V7 splice variant, which is currently an undruggable mechanism of ARSi resistance: AR-V7 lacks a ligand binding domain, where hormones and anti-androgen antagonists act, but still activates AR signaling. We reveal PKCβ as a druggable regulator of transcription and splicing at the AR genomic locus. We identify a clinical PKCβ inhibitor in combination with an FDA-approved anti-androgen as an approach for repressing AR genomic locus expression, including expression of AR-V7, while antagonizing full-length AR. PKCβ inhibition reduces total AR gene expression, thus reducing AR-V7 protein levels and sensitizing prostate cancer cells to current anti-androgen therapies. We demonstrate that this combination may be a viable therapeutic strategy for AR-V7-positive prostate cancer.
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20
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AR Structural Variants and Prostate Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1390:195-211. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11836-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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21
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Opposing transcriptional programs of KLF5 and AR emerge during therapy for advanced prostate cancer. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6377. [PMID: 34737261 PMCID: PMC8568894 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26612-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocrine therapies for prostate cancer inhibit the androgen receptor (AR) transcription factor. In most cases, AR activity resumes during therapy and drives progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, therapy can also promote lineage plasticity and select for AR-independent phenotypes that are uniformly lethal. Here, we demonstrate the stem cell transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) is low or absent in prostate cancers prior to endocrine therapy, but induced in a subset of CRPC, including CRPC displaying lineage plasticity. KLF5 and AR physically interact on chromatin and drive opposing transcriptional programs, with KLF5 promoting cellular migration, anchorage-independent growth, and basal epithelial cell phenotypes. We identify ERBB2 as a point of transcriptional convergence displaying activation by KLF5 and repression by AR. ERBB2 inhibitors preferentially block KLF5-driven oncogenic phenotypes. These findings implicate KLF5 as an oncogene that can be upregulated in CRPC to oppose AR activities and promote lineage plasticity.
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22
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Tietz KT, Dehm SM. Androgen receptor variants: RNA-based mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:R19-R26. [PMID: 32412639 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male cancer death in the United States. The androgen receptor (AR) transcription factor is a master regulator of normal glandular homeostasis in the prostate, as well as growth and survival of prostate cancer cells. Therefore, AR-targeted therapies are effective for improving overall survival of patients with advanced prostate cancer that is incurable by surgery or radiation. However, prostate cancer will inevitably progress on AR-targeted therapies to a castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) phenotype that accounts for virtually all prostate cancer-specific death. mRNA transcript variants of the AR gene are expressed in CRPC cells and can be translated to produce AR variant (AR-V) proteins that function as ligand-independent, constitutively active transcription factors. AR-Vs are able to support growth of CRPC cells by promoting expression of AR target genes that are normally suppressed by AR-targeted therapies. Knowledge of mechanisms that govern expression of AR-Vs is incomplete. Studies have shown genomic rearrangements of the AR gene underlie expression of diverse AR-Vs in certain CRPC tumors, but post-transcriptional processes represent a broader regulatory mechanism for expression of AR-Vs in CRPC. This review focuses on alternative splicing, 3' end processing, miRNA-mediated mRNA repression, of AR and AR-V expression and the potential these mechanisms hold as therapeutic targets for CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiel T Tietz
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Scott M Dehm
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.,Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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23
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Sperger JM, Emamekhoo H, McKay RR, Stahlfeld CN, Singh A, Chen XE, Kwak L, Gilsdorf CS, Wolfe SK, Wei XX, Silver R, Zhang Z, Morris MJ, Bubley G, Feng FY, Scher HI, Rathkopf D, Dehm SM, Choueiri TK, Halabi S, Armstrong AJ, Wyatt AW, Taplin ME, Zhao SG, Lang JM. Prospective Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes Using a Multiplex Liquid Biopsy Targeting Diverse Resistance Mechanisms in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2021; 39:2926-2937. [PMID: 34197212 PMCID: PMC8425833 DOI: 10.1200/jco.21.00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly all men with prostate cancer treated with androgen receptor (AR) signaling inhibitors (ARSIs) develop resistance via diverse mechanisms including constitutive activation of the AR pathway, driven by AR genomic structural alterations, expression of AR splice variants (AR-Vs), or loss of AR dependence and lineage plasticity termed neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Understanding these de novo acquired ARSI resistance mechanisms is critical for optimizing therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie M Sperger
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Hamid Emamekhoo
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Rana R McKay
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | | | - Anupama Singh
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Xinyi E Chen
- Department of Urologic Sciences, Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lucia Kwak
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Cole S Gilsdorf
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Serena K Wolfe
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Xiao X Wei
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Rebecca Silver
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Michael J Morris
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Glenn Bubley
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
| | - Felix Y Feng
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.,Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.,Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Howard I Scher
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Dana Rathkopf
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Scott M Dehm
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Urology, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Toni K Choueiri
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Susan Halabi
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University, Durham, NC.,Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Andrew J Armstrong
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Alexander W Wyatt
- Department of Urologic Sciences, Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Shuang G Zhao
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.,Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.,William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI
| | - Joshua M Lang
- Department of Medicine, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.,Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
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24
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Technical and biological constraints on ctDNA-based genotyping. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:995-1009. [PMID: 34219051 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) enables real-time genomic profiling of cancer without the need for tissue biopsy. ctDNA-based technology is seeing rapid uptake in clinical practice due to the potential to inform patient management from diagnosis to advanced disease. In metastatic disease, ctDNA can identify somatic mutations, copy-number variants (CNVs), and structural rearrangements that are predictive of therapy response. However, the ctDNA fraction (ctDNA%) is unpredictable and confounds variant detection strategies, undermining confidence in liquid biopsy results. Assay design also influences which types of genomic alterations are identifiable. Here, we describe the relationships between ctDNA%, methodology, and sensitivity-specificity for major classes of genomic alterations in prostate cancer. We provide recommendations to navigate the technical complexities that constrain the detection of clinically relevant genomic alterations in ctDNA.
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25
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Wu MJ, Chen CJ, Lin TY, Liu YY, Tseng LL, Cheng ML, Chuu CP, Tsai HK, Kuo WL, Kung HJ, Wang WC. Targeting KDM4B that coactivates c-Myc-regulated metabolism to suppress tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Theranostics 2021; 11:7779-7796. [PMID: 34335964 PMCID: PMC8315051 DOI: 10.7150/thno.58729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The progression of prostate cancer (PCa) to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) despite continuous androgen deprivation therapy is a major clinical challenge. Over 90% of patients with CRPC exhibit sustained androgen receptor (AR) signaling. KDM4B that removes the repressive mark H3K9me3/2 is a transcriptional activator of AR and has been implicated in the development of CRPC. However, the mechanisms of KDM4B involvement in CRPC remain largely unknown. Here, we sought to demonstrate the molecular pathway mediated by KDM4B in CRPC and to provide proof-of-concept evidence that KDM4B is a potential CRPC target. Methods: CRPC cells (C4-2B or CWR22Rv1) depleted with KDM4B followed by cell proliferation (in vitro and xenograft), microarray, qRT-PCR, Seahorse Flux, and metabolomic analyses were employed to identify the expression and metabolic profiles mediated by KDM4B. Immunoprecipitation was used to determine the KDM4B-c-Myc interaction region. Reporter activity assay and ChIP analysis were used to characterize the KDM4B-c-Myc complex-mediated mechanistic actions. The clinical relevance between KDM4B and c-Myc was determined using UCSC Xena analysis and immunohistochemistry. Results: We showed that KDM4B knockdown impaired CRPC proliferation, switched Warburg to OXPHOS metabolism, and suppressed gene expressions including those targeted by c-Myc. We further demonstrated that KDM4B physically interacted with c-Myc and they were co-recruited to the c-Myc-binding sequence on the promoters of metabolic genes (LDHA, ENO1, and PFK). Importantly, KDM4B and c-Myc synergistically promoted the transactivation of the LDHA promoter in a demethylase-dependent manner. We also provided evidence that KDM4B and c-Myc are co-expressed in PCa tissue and that high expression of both is associated with worse clinical outcome. Conclusions: KDM4B partners with c-Myc and serves as a coactivator of c-Myc to directly enhance c-Myc-mediated metabolism, hence promoting CRPC progression. Targeting KDM4B is thus an alternative therapeutic strategy for advanced prostate cancers driven by c-Myc and AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jen Wu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Jung Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 40201, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yu Lin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Yuan Liu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Lin-Lu Tseng
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Ling Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Pin Chuu
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan
| | - Huai-Kuang Tsai
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Ling Kuo
- Division of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linko Medical Center, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Jien Kung
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis Cancer Centre, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Wen-Ching Wang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Department of Life Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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26
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Guan J, Guo H, Tang T, Wang Y, Wei Y, Seth P, Li Y, Dehm SM, Ruoslahti E, Pang HB. iRGD-liposomes enhance tumor delivery and therapeutic efficacy of antisense oligonucleotide drugs against primary prostate cancer and bone metastasis. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2021; 31:2100478. [PMID: 34211360 PMCID: PMC8240484 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202100478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotide-based drugs, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), have unique advantages in treating human diseases as they provide virtually unlimited ability to target any gene. However, their clinical translation faces many challenges, one of which is poor delivery to the target tissue in vivo. This problem is particularly evident in solid tumors. Here, we functionalized liposomes with a tumor-homing and -penetrating peptide, iRGD, as a carrier of an ASO against androgen receptor (AR) for prostate cancer treatment. The iRGD-liposomes exhibited a high loading efficiency of AR-ASO, and an efficient knockdown of AR gene products was achieved in vitro, including AR splice variants. In vivo, iRGD-liposomes significantly increased AR-ASO accumulation in the tumor tissue and decreased AR expression relative to free ASOs in prostate tumors established as subcutaneous xenografts. Similar results were obtained with intra-tibial xenografts modeling metastasis to bones, the predominant site of metastasis for prostate cancer. In treatment studies, iRGD-liposomes markedly improved the AR-ASO efficacy in suppressing the growth of both subcutaneous xenografts and intra-tibial xenografts. The inhibitory effect on tumor growth was also significantly prolonged by the delivery of the AR-ASO in the iRGD-liposomes. Meanwhile, iRGD-liposomes did not increase ASO accumulation or toxicity in healthy organs. Overall, we provide here a delivery system that can significantly increase ASO accumulation and efficacy in solid tumors. These benefits are achieved without significant side effects, providing a way to increase the antitumor efficacy of ASOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibin Guan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Hong Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Tang Tang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Yihan Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Yushuang Wei
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Punit Seth
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Carlsbad, CA 92010, United
States
| | - Yingming Li
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Scott M Dehm
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and
Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Erkki Ruoslahti
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery
Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
- Cend Therapeutics, San Diego, CA 92130, United
States
| | - Hong-Bo Pang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
- Corresponding Author: Hong-Bo Pang,
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27
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Kanayama M, Lu C, Luo J, Antonarakis ES. AR Splicing Variants and Resistance to AR Targeting Agents. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2563. [PMID: 34071114 PMCID: PMC8197115 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, advances in prostate cancer research have led to discovery and development of novel biomarkers and effective treatments. As treatment options diversify, it is critical to further develop and use optimal biomarkers for the purpose of maximizing treatment benefit and minimizing unwanted adverse effects. Because most treatments for prostate cancer target androgen receptor (AR) signaling, aberrations affecting this drug target are likely to emerge following the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and it is conceivable that such aberrations may play a role in drug resistance. Among the many AR aberrations, we and others have been studying androgen receptor splice variants (AR-Vs), especially AR-V7, and have conducted preclinical and clinical studies to develop and validate the clinical utility of AR-V7 as a prognostic and potential predictive biomarker. In this review, we first describe mechanisms of AR-V generation, regulation and their functions from a molecular perspective. We then discuss AR-Vs from a clinical perspective, focusing on the significance of AR-Vs detected in different types of human specimens and AR-Vs as potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuko Kanayama
- Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; (M.K.); (C.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Changxue Lu
- Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; (M.K.); (C.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; (M.K.); (C.L.); (J.L.)
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Emmanuel S. Antonarakis
- Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; (M.K.); (C.L.); (J.L.)
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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28
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Maylin ZR, Nicolescu RC, Pandha H, Asim M. Breaking androgen receptor addiction of prostate cancer by targeting different functional domains in the treatment of advanced disease. Transl Oncol 2021; 14:101115. [PMID: 33993099 PMCID: PMC8138777 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer has changed markedly, impacting symptom control and longevity for patients. However, a large proportion of cases progress despite androgen deprivation therapy and chemotherapy, while still being fit enough for several more lines of treatment. Overstimulation of the androgen receptor (AR) activity is the main driver of this cancer. Targeting biological functions of the AR or its co-regulators has proven very effective in this disease and led to the development of several highly effective drugs targeting the AR signalling axis. Drugs such as enzalutamide demonstrated that the improvement in anti-tumour efficacy is closely correlated with an affinity for the AR and its activity and have established the paradigm that AR remains activity in aggressive disease. However, as importantly, key insights into mechanisms of resistance are guiding the development of the next generation of AR-targeted drugs. This review outlines the historical development of these highly specific agents, their mechanism of action in the context of defective AR activity, and explores the potential for the upcoming next-generation AR inhibitors (ARI) for prostate cancer by targeting the alternative domains of AR, rather than by the conventional ligand-binding domain approach. There is huge potential in these approaches to develop new drugs with high clinical activity and further improve the outlook for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe R Maylin
- Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, UK
| | | | - Hardev Pandha
- Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, UK
| | - Mohammad Asim
- Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey, UK.
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29
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Schmidt KT, Chau CH, Strope JD, Huitema ADR, Sissung TM, Price DK, Figg WD. Antitumor Activity of NLG207 (Formerly CRLX101) in Combination with Enzalutamide in Preclinical Prostate Cancer Models. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:915-924. [PMID: 33632874 PMCID: PMC8102325 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Effective treatments for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer following disease progression on enzalutamide are currently an unmet clinical need. Simultaneous inhibition of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and androgen receptor (AR) pathways has been previously shown to overcome enzalutamide resistance in vitro Combination treatment with NLG207, a nanoparticle-drug conjugate of camptothecin and inhibitor of HIF-1α, and enzalutamide was evaluated in preclinical prostate cancer models of enzalutamide resistance. The effect of NLG207 and enzalutamide on average tumor volume and tumor re-growth after 3 weeks of treatment was evaluated in vivo using the subcutaneous 22Rv1 xenograft and castrated subcutaneous VCaP xenograft models. Correlative assessments of antitumor activity were evaluated in vitro using cell proliferation and qPCR assays. NLG207 8 mg/kg alone and in combination with enzalutamide reduced average tumor volume by 93% after 3 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05) in comparison with vehicle control in the subcutaneous 22Rv1 xenograft model. Notably, the addition of NLG207 also enhanced the efficacy of enzalutamide alone in the castrated subcutaneous VCaP xenograft model, decreasing the median rate of tumor growth by 51% (P = 0.0001) in comparison with enzalutamide alone. In vitro assessments of cell proliferation and gene expression further demonstrated antitumor activity via AR-HIF-1α crosstalk inhibition. Combination treatment with NLG207 and enzalutamide was shown to be effective in preclinical prostate cancer models of enzalutamide resistance. Clinical investigation of this treatment combination is ongoing (NCT03531827).
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith T Schmidt
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Cindy H Chau
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jonathan D Strope
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Alwin D R Huitema
- Department Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tristan M Sissung
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Douglas K Price
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - William D Figg
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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30
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Liu W, Wang C, Wang S, Zeng K, Wei S, Sun N, Sun G, Wang M, Zou R, Liu W, Lin L, Song H, Jin Z, Zhao Y. PRPF6 promotes androgen receptor/androgen receptor-variant 7 actions in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:188-203. [PMID: 33390843 PMCID: PMC7757026 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.50810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) and its variants play vital roles in development and progression of prostate cancer. To clarify the mechanisms involved in the enhancement of their actions would be crucial for understanding the process in prostate cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancer transformation. Here, we provided the evidence to show that pre-mRNA processing factor 6 (PRPF6) acts as a key regulator for action of both AR full length (AR-FL) and AR variant 7 (AR-V7), thereby participating in the enhancement of AR-FL and AR-V7-induced transactivation in prostate cancer. In addition, PRPF6 is recruited to cis-regulatory elements in AR target genes and associates with JMJD1A to enhance AR-induced transactivation. PRPF6 also promotes expression of AR-FL and AR-V7. Moreover, PRPF6 depletion reduces tumor growth in prostate cancer-derived cell lines and results in significant suppression of xenograft tumors even under castration condition in mouse model. Furthermore, PRPF6 is obviously highly expressed in human prostate cancer samples. Collectively, our results suggest PRPF6 is involved in enhancement of oncogenic AR signaling, which support a previously unknown role of PRPF6 during progression of prostate cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Shengli Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Kai Zeng
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Shan Wei
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Ning Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Ge Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Manlin Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Renlong Zou
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Wensu Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Huijuan Song
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
| | - Zining Jin
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang City 110001, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province110122, China
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Liao Ning Tumor Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning 110042, China
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31
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Obinata D, Lawrence MG, Takayama K, Choo N, Risbridger GP, Takahashi S, Inoue S. Recent Discoveries in the Androgen Receptor Pathway in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:581515. [PMID: 33134178 PMCID: PMC7578370 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.581515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is the main therapeutic target in advanced prostate cancer, because it regulates the growth and progression of prostate cancer cells. Patients may undergo multiple lines of AR-directed treatments, including androgen-deprivation therapy, AR signaling inhibitors (abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide, apalutamide, or darolutamide), or combinations of these therapies. Yet, tumors inevitably develop resistance to the successive lines of treatment. The diverse mechanisms of resistance include reactivation of the AR and dysregulation of AR cofactors and collaborative transcription factors (TFs). Further elucidating the nexus between the AR and collaborative TFs may reveal new strategies targeting the AR directly or indirectly, such as targeting BET proteins or OCT1. However, appropriate preclinical models will be required to test the efficacy of these approaches. Fortunately, an increasing variety of patient-derived models, such as xenografts and organoids, are being developed for discovery-based research and preclinical drug screening. Here we review the mechanisms of drug resistance in the AR signaling pathway, the intersection with collaborative TFs, and the use of patient-derived models for novel drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Obinata
- Department of Urology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Mitchell G. Lawrence
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kenichi Takayama
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nicholas Choo
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gail P. Risbridger
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Satoru Takahashi
- Department of Urology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
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32
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Liu B, Sun Y, Tang M, Liang C, Huang CP, Niu Y, Wang Z, Chang C. The miR-361-3p increases enzalutamide (Enz) sensitivity via targeting the ARv7 and MKNK2 to better suppress the Enz-resistant prostate cancer. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:807. [PMID: 32978369 PMCID: PMC7519644 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02932-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The androgen receptor splicing variant 7 (ARv7) that lacks the ligand-binding domain is increasingly considered as a key player leading to enzalutamide (Enz) resistance in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). However, the detailed mechanisms of how ARv7 expression is regulated and whether it also needs other factors to induce maximal Enz resistance remain unclear. Here, we identified a microRNA, miR-361-3p, whose expression is lower in patients with recurrent PCa, could function via binding to the 3'UTR of ARv7, but not the wild type of AR, to suppress its expression to increase the Enz sensitivity. Importantly, we found that miR-361-3p could also bind to the 3'UTR of MAP kinase-interacting serine/threonine kinase 2 (MKNK2) to suppress its expression to further increase the Enz sensitivity. In turn, the increased Enz can then function via a feedback mechanism through altering the HIF-2α/VEGFA signaling to suppress the expression of miR-361-3p under hypoxia conditions. Preclinical studies using an in vivo mouse model with orthotopically xenografted CWR22Rv1 cells demonstrated that combining the Enz with the small molecule miR-361-3p would result in better suppression of the Enz-resistant PCa tumor progression. Together, these preclinical studies demonstrate that miR-361-3p can function via suppressing the expression of ARv7 and MKNK2 to maximally increase the Enz sensitivity, and targeting these newly identified Enz/miR-361-3p/ARv7 and/or Enz/miR-361-3p/MKNK2 signals with small molecules may help in the development of novel therapies to better suppress the CRPC in patients that already have developed the Enz resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianjiang Liu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Pathology, Urology and Radiation Oncology, and The Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Yin Sun
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Pathology, Urology and Radiation Oncology, and The Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Pathology, Urology and Radiation Oncology, and The Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Chao Liang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chi-Ping Huang
- Sex Hormone Research Center and Department of Urology, China Medical University/Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yuanjie Niu
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Pathology, Urology and Radiation Oncology, and The Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Zengjun Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Chawnshang Chang
- George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Pathology, Urology and Radiation Oncology, and The Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
- Sex Hormone Research Center and Department of Urology, China Medical University/Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
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33
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Chen Y, Lan T. Molecular Origin, Expression Regulation, and Biological Function of Androgen Receptor Splicing Variant 7 in Prostate Cancer. Urol Int 2020; 105:337-353. [PMID: 32957106 DOI: 10.1159/000510124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The problem of resistance to therapy in prostate cancer (PCa) is multifaceted. Key determinants of drug resistance include tumor burden and growth kinetics, tumor heterogeneity, physical barriers, immune system and microenvironment, undruggable cancer drivers, and consequences of therapeutic pressures. With regard to the fundamental importance of the androgen receptor (AR) in all stages of PCa from tumorigenesis to progression, AR is postulated to have a continued critical role in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Suppression of AR signaling mediated by the full-length AR (AR-FL) is the therapeutic goal of all AR-directed therapies. However, AR-targeting agents ultimately lead to AR aberrations that promote PCa progression and drug resistance. Among these AR aberrations, androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7) is gaining attention as a potential predictive marker for as well as one of the resistance mechanisms to the most current anti-AR therapies in CRPC. Meanwhile, development of next-generation drugs that directly or indirectly target AR-V7 signaling is urgently needed. In the present review of the current literature, we have summarized the origin, alternative splicing, expression induction, protein conformation, interaction with coregulators, relationship with AR-FL, transcriptional activity, and biological function of AR-V7 in PCa development and therapeutic resistance. We hope this review will help further understand the molecular origin, expression regulation, and role of AR-V7 in the progression of PCa and provide insight into the design of novel selective inhibitors of AR-V7 in PCa treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Chen
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesiology, Joint Logistic Support 940 Hospital of CPLA, Lanzhou, China
| | - Tian Lan
- Department of Urology, Joint Logistic Support 940 Hospital of CPLA, Lanzhou, China,
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34
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Gao S, Chen S, Han D, Wang Z, Li M, Han W, Besschetnova A, Liu M, Zhou F, Barrett D, Luong MP, Owiredu J, Liang Y, Ahmed M, Petricca J, Patalano S, Macoska JA, Corey E, Chen S, Balk SP, He HH, Cai C. Chromatin binding of FOXA1 is promoted by LSD1-mediated demethylation in prostate cancer. Nat Genet 2020; 52:1011-1017. [PMID: 32868907 PMCID: PMC7541538 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0681-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
FOXA1 functions as a pioneer transcription factor by facilitating the access to chromatin for steroid hormone receptors, such as androgen receptor and estrogen receptor1-4, but mechanisms regulating its binding to chromatin remain elusive. LSD1 (KDM1A) acts as a transcriptional repressor by demethylating mono/dimethylated histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me1/2)5,6, but also acts as a steroid hormone receptor coactivator through mechanisms that are unclear. Here we show, in prostate cancer cells, that LSD1 associates with FOXA1 and active enhancer markers, and that LSD1 inhibition globally disrupts FOXA1 chromatin binding. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that LSD1 positively regulates FOXA1 binding by demethylating lysine 270, adjacent to the wing2 region of the FOXA1 DNA-binding domain. Acting through FOXA1, LSD1 inhibition broadly disrupted androgen-receptor binding and its transcriptional output, and dramatically decreased prostate cancer growth alone and in synergy with androgen-receptor antagonist treatment in vivo. These mechanistic insights suggest new therapeutic strategies in steroid-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Gao
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sujun Chen
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dong Han
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zifeng Wang
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Muqing Li
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wanting Han
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna Besschetnova
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mingyu Liu
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Feng Zhou
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - David Barrett
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - My Phu Luong
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jude Owiredu
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.,Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yi Liang
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Musaddeque Ahmed
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Petricca
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan Patalano
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jill A Macoska
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sen Chen
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven P Balk
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Housheng Hansen He
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Changmeng Cai
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
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35
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Afonso A, Silva J, Lopes AR, Coelho S, Patrão AS, Rosinha A, Carneiro F, Pinto AR, Maurício MJ, Medeiros R. YB-1 variant and androgen receptor axis-targeted agents in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. Pharmacogenomics 2020; 21:919-928. [PMID: 32787509 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2020-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the influence of YB-1 rs10493112 variant as a genetic marker for response to second-generation androgen receptor axis-target agents. Methods: A hospital-based cohort study of 78 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer was conducted. Genotyping was performed by TaqMan® allelic discrimination technology. Main results: In abiraterone-treated and high-risk patients, YB-1 rs10493112 AA genotype carriers showed lower progression-free survival than C allele genotype patients (4 vs 17 months; p = 0.009). For carriers of AA genotype, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed a fivefold increased risk of progression (p = 0.035). Conclusion: The study findings suggest that, for metastatic and castration-resistant prostate cancer patients, this polymorphism might be a putative marker for the clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Afonso
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal.,Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group-Research Center, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jani Silva
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group-Research Center, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Lopes
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Coelho
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Sofia Patrão
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alina Rosinha
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Filipa Carneiro
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Pinto
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group-Research Center, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Joaquina Maurício
- Department of Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Medeiros
- Molecular Oncology & Viral Pathology Group-Research Center, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Rua Dr. António Bernardino Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Research, Portuguese League Against Cancer (NRNorte), Estrada Interior da Circunvalação, no. 6657, 4200-172, Porto, Portugal.,CEBIMED, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa University, Rua Delfim Maia, 334 4200-253, Porto, Portugal
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36
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Abstract
The development and progression of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is the major challenge in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. The androgen receptor signaling pathway remains active in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Docetaxel and cabazitaxel are the first- and second-line chemotherapy, respectively, for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. These two taxanes, in general, function by (i) inhibiting mitosis and inducing apoptosis and (ii) preventing microtubule-dependent cargo trafficking. In prostate cancer, taxanes have been reported to inhibit the nuclear translocation and activity of the androgen receptor. However, whether this is attainable or not clinically remains controversial. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive view of the effects of taxanes on androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Bai
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.,Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | | | - Yan Dong
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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37
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Li Y, Yang R, Henzler CM, Ho Y, Passow C, Auch B, Carreira S, Nava Rodrigues D, Bertan C, Hwang TH, Quigley DA, Dang HX, Morrissey C, Fraser M, Plymate SR, Maher CA, Feng FY, de Bono JS, Dehm SM. Diverse AR Gene Rearrangements Mediate Resistance to Androgen Receptor Inhibitors in Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:1965-1976. [PMID: 31932493 PMCID: PMC7165042 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-3023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male cancer deaths. Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a lethal stage of the disease that emerges when endocrine therapies are no longer effective at suppressing activity of the androgen receptor (AR) transcription factor. The purpose of this study was to identify genomic mechanisms that contribute to the development and progression of CRPC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used whole-genome and targeted DNA-sequencing approaches to identify mechanisms underlying CRPC in an aggregate cohort of 272 prostate cancer patients. We analyzed structural rearrangements at the genome-wide level and carried out a detailed structural rearrangement analysis of the AR locus. We used genome engineering to perform experimental modeling of AR gene rearrangements and long-read RNA sequencing to analyze effects on expression of AR and truncated AR variants (AR-V). RESULTS AR was among the most frequently rearranged genes in CRPC tumors. AR gene rearrangements promoted expression of diverse AR-V species. AR gene rearrangements occurring in the context of AR amplification correlated with AR overexpression. Cell lines with experimentally derived AR gene rearrangements displayed high expression of tumor-specific AR-Vs and were resistant to endocrine therapies, including the AR antagonist enzalutamide. CONCLUSIONS AR gene rearrangements are an important mechanism of resistance to endocrine therapies in CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingming Li
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Rendong Yang
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota
| | - Christine M Henzler
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Yeung Ho
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Courtney Passow
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Benjamin Auch
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | | | - Claudia Bertan
- The Institute for Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tae Hyun Hwang
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - David A Quigley
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Ha X Dang
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Colm Morrissey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael Fraser
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario
| | - Stephen R Plymate
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Christopher A Maher
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Felix Y Feng
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Johann S de Bono
- The Institute for Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Scott M Dehm
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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38
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Ganapathy K, Staklinski S, Hasan MF, Ottman R, Andl T, Berglund AE, Park JY, Chakrabarti R. Multifaceted Function of MicroRNA-299-3p Fosters an Antitumor Environment Through Modulation of Androgen Receptor and VEGFA Signaling Pathways in Prostate Cancer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5167. [PMID: 32198489 PMCID: PMC7083835 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62038-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers to affect men worldwide. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is central to PCa and PCa therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in the regulation of prostate cancer through modulation of signaling pathways. In the present study, we illustrate the functional significance and therapeutic benefit of miR-299-3p, an AR targeting microRNA, in PCa progression. We noted loss of expression of miR-299-3p in prostate tumors compared to noncancerous prostate tissues. Replenishment of miR-299-3p in C4-2B, 22Rv-1 and PC-3 cells contributed to cell cycle arrest, reduced proliferation, migration and increased expression of apoptotic markers. Additionally, overexpression of miR-299-3p induced a reduction of AR, PSA and VEGFA expression. AGO-RNA pulldown experiment showed enrichment of AR, VEGFA and miR-299-3p in C4-2B cells overexpressing miR-299-3p. miR-299-3p overexpression also inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transition, expression of Slug, TGF-β3, phospho-AKT and phospho-PRAS40, but increased expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, miR-299 overexpression resulted in reduced tumor growth in xenograft models and increased drug sensitivity. Overall, this study has identified novel mechanisms of antitumor and antimigration function of miR-299-3p through modulation of AR and VEGFA signaling pathways which lead to improved drug sensitivity of PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavya Ganapathy
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Stephen Staklinski
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Md Faqrul Hasan
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Richard Ottman
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Thomas Andl
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Anders E Berglund
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jong Y Park
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ratna Chakrabarti
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
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39
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Zhu Y, Luo J. Regulation of androgen receptor variants in prostate cancer. Asian J Urol 2020; 7:251-257. [PMID: 33024700 PMCID: PMC7525062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajur.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling occurs in patients treated with AR-targeted therapies, contributing to the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and therapeutic resistance. Over the past decade, many AR variants (AR-Vs) have been identified in prostate cancer cell lines and clinical CRPC specimens. These AR-Vs lack the COOH-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD), and may mediate constitutively active AR signaling acquired following AR-targeting therapies. AR splice variant-7 (AR-V7), one of the most well characterized AR-Vs, can be reliably measured in tissue and liquid biopsy specimens, and blood-based detection of AR-V7 is a reliable indicator of poor outcome to relatively novel hormonal therapies (NHT) such as abiraterone and enzalutamide in men with metastatic CRPC (mCRPC). Given the important clinical implication of AR-Vs, this short review will focus on studies addressing how AR-Vs are regulated in prostate cancer. With regard to the molecular origin of AR-Vs, it is established that expression of AR-Vs is highly correlated with androgen deprivation and suppression of AR signaling. Therapeutic targeting of the AR axis may result in active transcription of the AR gene, elevated activities of certain components of the mRNA splicing machinery, as well as AR genomic alterations, all of which may explain the molecular origin of AR-Vs. Although a unified hypothesis is currently lacking, existing data suggest that elevated expression of AR-Vs, which in general occurs quite specifically in a cellular environment where the canonical AR signaling is suppressed, is driven by both genomic and epigenomic features acquired in the development of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yezi Zhu
- Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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40
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Duan L, Chen Z, Lu J, Liang Y, Wang M, Roggero CM, Zhang QJ, Gao J, Fang Y, Cao J, Lu J, Zhao H, Dang A, Pong RC, Hernandez E, Chang CM, Hoang DT, Ahn JM, Xiao G, Wang RT, Yu KJ, Kapur P, Rizo J, Hsieh JT, Luo J, Liu ZP. Histone lysine demethylase KDM4B regulates the alternative splicing of the androgen receptor in response to androgen deprivation. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:11623-11636. [PMID: 31647098 PMCID: PMC7145715 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is emerging as an oncogenic mechanism. In prostate cancer, generation of constitutively active forms of androgen receptor (AR) variants including AR-V7 plays an important role in progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). AR-V7 is generated by alternative splicing that results in inclusion of cryptic exon CE3 and translation of truncated AR protein that lacks the ligand binding domain. Whether AR-V7 can be a driver for CRPC remains controversial as the oncogenic mechanism of AR-V7 activation remains elusive. Here, we found that KDM4B promotes AR-V7 and identified a novel regulatory mechanism. KDM4B is phosphorylated by protein kinase A under conditions that promote castration-resistance, eliciting its binding to the splicing factor SF3B3. KDM4B binds RNA specifically near the 5'-CE3, upregulates the chromatin accessibility, and couples the spliceosome to the chromatin. Our data suggest that KDM4B can function as a signal responsive trans-acting splicing factor and scaffold that recruits and stabilizes the spliceosome near the alternative exon, thus promoting its inclusion. Genome-wide profiling of KDM4B-regulated genes also identified additional alternative splicing events implicated in tumorigenesis. Our study defines KDM4B-regulated alternative splicing as a pivotal mechanism for generating AR-V7 and a contributing factor for CRPC, providing insight for mechanistic targeting of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Duan
- Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology Division, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zhenhua Chen
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yanping Liang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Nephrology Center of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, China
| | - Carlos M Roggero
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Qing-Jun Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology Division, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jason Gao
- Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology Division, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yong Fang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Jiazheng Cao
- Department of Urology, Jiangmen Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Jiangmen 529030, China
| | - Jian Lu
- Department of Urology, Jiangmen Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Jiangmen 529030, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University Medical College, Yantai 264000, China
| | - Andrew Dang
- Department of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rey-Chen Pong
- Department of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Elizabeth Hernandez
- Department of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Chun-Mien Chang
- Department of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - David T Hoang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75080, USA
| | - Jung-Mo Ahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75080, USA
| | - Guanghua Xiao
- Department of Clinical Science, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rui-tao Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China
| | - Kai-jiang Yu
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150001, China
| | - Payal Kapur
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Josep Rizo
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jer-Tsong Hsieh
- Department of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Junhang Luo
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Zhi-Ping Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology Division, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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41
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Pertusati F, Ferla S, Bassetto M, Brancale A, Khandil S, Westwell AD, McGuigan C. A new series of bicalutamide, enzalutamide and enobosarm derivatives carrying pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) and pentafluoroethyl (C2F5) substituents: Improved antiproliferative agents against prostate cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 180:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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42
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Liu C, Yang JC, Armstrong CM, Lou W, Liu L, Qiu X, Zou B, Lombard AP, D'Abronzo LS, Evans CP, Gao AC. AKR1C3 Promotes AR-V7 Protein Stabilization and Confers Resistance to AR-Targeted Therapies in Advanced Prostate Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:1875-1886. [PMID: 31308078 PMCID: PMC6995728 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-1322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms resulting in resistance to next-generation antiandrogens in castration-resistant prostate cancer are incompletely understood. Numerous studies have determined that constitutively active androgen receptor (AR) signaling or full-length AR bypass mechanisms may contribute to the resistance. Previous studies established that AKR1C3 and AR-V7 play important roles in enzalutamide and abiraterone resistance. In the present study, we found that AKR1C3 increases AR-V7 expression in resistant prostate cancer cells through enhancing protein stability via activation of the ubiquitin-mediated proteasome pathway. AKR1C3 reprograms AR signaling in enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer cells. In addition, bioinformatical analysis of indomethacin-treated resistant cells revealed that indomethacin significantly activates the unfolded protein response, p53, and apoptosis pathways, and suppresses cell-cycle, Myc, and AR/ARV7 pathways. Targeting AKR1C3 with indomethacin significantly decreases AR/AR-V7 protein expression in vitro and in vivo through activation of the ubiquitin-mediated proteasome pathway. Our results suggest that the AKR1C3/AR-V7 complex collaboratively confers resistance to AR-targeted therapies in advanced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengfei Liu
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Joy C Yang
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Cameron M Armstrong
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Wei Lou
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Liangren Liu
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Xiaomin Qiu
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Binhao Zou
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Alan P Lombard
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Leandro S D'Abronzo
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Christopher P Evans
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Allen C Gao
- Department of Urologic Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
- UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
- VA Northern California Health Care System, Sacramento, California
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43
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Yang Z, Wang D, Johnson JK, Pascal LE, Takubo K, Avula R, Chakka AB, Zhou J, Chen W, Zhong M, Song Q, Ding H, Wu Z, Chandran UR, Maskrey TS, Nelson JB, Wipf P, Wang Z. A Novel Small Molecule Targets Androgen Receptor and Its Splice Variants in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 19:75-88. [PMID: 31554654 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Reactivation of androgen receptor (AR) appears to be the major mechanism driving the resistance of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) to second-generation antiandrogens and involves AR overexpression, AR mutation, and/or expression of AR splice variants lacking ligand-binding domain. There is a need for novel small molecules targeting AR, particularly those also targeting AR splice variants such as ARv7. A high-throughput/high-content screen was previously reported that led to the discovery of a novel lead compound, 2-(((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)methyl)thio)-1-(4-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethan-1-one (IMTPPE), capable of inhibiting nuclear AR level and activity in CRPC cells, including those resistant to enzalutamide. A novel analogue of IMTPPE, JJ-450, has been investigated with evidence for its direct and specific inhibition of AR transcriptional activity via a pulldown assay and RNA-sequencing analysis, PSA-based luciferase, qPCR, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, and xenograft tumor model 22Rv1. JJ-450 blocks AR recruitment to androgen-responsive elements and suppresses AR target gene expression. JJ-450 also inhibits ARv7 transcriptional activity and its target gene expression. Importantly, JJ-450 suppresses the growth of CRPC tumor xenografts, including ARv7-expressing 22Rv1. Collectively, these findings suggest JJ-450 represents a new class of AR antagonists with therapeutic potential for CRPC, including those resistant to enzalutamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Yang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China.,Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - James K Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Laura E Pascal
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Keita Takubo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Raghunandan Avula
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Anish Bhaswanth Chakka
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jianhua Zhou
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mingming Zhong
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Qiong Song
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-Related Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China
| | - Hui Ding
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zeyu Wu
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Uma R Chandran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Taber S Maskrey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Joel B Nelson
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Peter Wipf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. .,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zhou Wang
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. .,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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44
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Kawamura N, Nimura K, Saga K, Ishibashi A, Kitamura K, Nagano H, Yoshikawa Y, Ishida K, Nonomura N, Arisawa M, Luo J, Kaneda Y. SF3B2-Mediated RNA Splicing Drives Human Prostate Cancer Progression. Cancer Res 2019; 79:5204-5217. [PMID: 31431456 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-3965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor splice variant-7 (AR-V7) is a constitutively active AR variant implicated in castration-resistant prostate cancers. Here, we show that the RNA splicing factor SF3B2, identified by in silico and CRISPR/Cas9 analyses, is a critical determinant of AR-V7 expression and is correlated with aggressive cancer phenotypes. Transcriptome and PAR-CLIP analyses revealed that SF3B2 controls the splicing of target genes, including AR, to drive aggressive phenotypes. SF3B2-mediated aggressive phenotypes in vivo were reversed by AR-V7 knockout. Pladienolide B, an inhibitor of a splicing modulator of the SF3b complex, suppressed the growth of tumors addicted to high SF3B2 expression. These findings support the idea that alteration of the splicing pattern by high SF3B2 expression is one mechanism underlying prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. This study also provides evidence supporting SF3B2 as a candidate therapeutic target for treating patients with cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: RNA splicing factor SF3B2 is essential for the generation of an androgen receptor (AR) variant that renders prostate cancer cells resistant to AR-targeting therapy.Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/79/20/5204/F1.large.jpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiko Kawamura
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keisuke Nimura
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Kotaro Saga
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Airi Ishibashi
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koji Kitamura
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Nagano
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yoshikawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kyoso Ishida
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Norio Nonomura
- Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Arisawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jun Luo
- James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yasufumi Kaneda
- Division of Gene Therapy Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
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45
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Cucchiara V, Yang JC, Liu C, Adomat HH, Tomlinson Guns ES, Gleave ME, Gao AC, Evans CP. GnRH Antagonists Have Direct Inhibitory Effects On Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Via Intracrine Androgen and AR-V7 Expression. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:1811-1821. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-1337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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46
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Blatt EB, Raj GV. Molecular mechanisms of enzalutamide resistance in prostate cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2019; 2:189-197. [PMID: 35582713 PMCID: PMC8992629 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2019.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
An estimated 30,000 men in the United States will die of metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) each year due to the development of therapy resistance, most notably resistance to second-generation antiandrogen enzalutamide. The vast majority of PCa is driven by the androgen receptor (AR). Enzalutamide is an AR antagonist, which extends patient survival and is widely used in the clinic for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); however, many patients will have primary or develop acquired resistance and continue to progress. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms of enzalutamide resistance provides insight into potentially efficacious therapies for enzalutamide-resistant CRPC (ER-CRPC). Understanding these mechanisms is critical for the identification of biomarkers predictive of therapy resistance and the development of therapeutic strategies to target ER-CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliot B. Blatt
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ganesh V. Raj
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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47
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Takayama KI. Splicing Factors Have an Essential Role in Prostate Cancer Progression and Androgen Receptor Signaling. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9040131. [PMID: 30939845 PMCID: PMC6523118 DOI: 10.3390/biom9040131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although inhibition of the androgen–androgen receptor (AR) axis effectively represses the growth of prostate cancer, most of all cases eventually become castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs). Enhancement of the expression of AR and its variants along with the downstream signals is important for disease progression. AR-V7, a constitutive active form of AR, is generated as a result of RNA splicing. RNA splicing creates multiple transcript variants from one pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) by removing introns/exons to allow mRNA translation. The molecular mechanisms leading to marked increases of AR and generation of AR-V7 have been unclear. However, recent papers highlighted the roles of RNA splicing factors which promote AR expression and production of variants. Notably, a broad range of splicing components were aberrantly regulated in CRPC tissues. Interestingly, expression of various spliceosome genes is enhanced by RNA-binding protein splicing factor proline- and glutamine-rich (PSF/SFPQ), leading to changes in the expression of AR transcript variants. Moreover, inhibition of several splicing factors repressed tumor growth in vivo. Altered expression of splicing factors is correlated to biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer patients. Thus, these findings suggest that splicing factors would be a potential therapeutic target. This review focuses on the emerging roles of splicing factors in prostate cancer progression and AR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichi Takayama
- Department of Functional Biogerontology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan.
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033, Japan.
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48
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Meng L, Li Y, Ren J, Shi T, Men J, Chang C. Early Stage Biomarkers Screening of Prostate Cancer Based on Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis. DNA Cell Biol 2019; 38:468-475. [PMID: 30835547 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2018.4406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the morbidity and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PCa) are considerably high, many PCas are characterized as indolent and slow growing, which do not require overtreatment. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of early detected PCa are an emerging problem, owing to a lack of biomarkers that detect advanced disease at an earlier stage. In this study, RNA-Seq data of 57,045 genes for 495 PCa samples and 52 normal samples in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were downloaded. Subsequently, we performed weighted gene coexpression network analysis to identify the Gleason score-related coexpression gene module, and further screened out oncogenes and tumor suppressors that were upregulated or downregulated in the early stage of PCa as well as those related to the clinical prognosis of PCa patients. Based on this study, some novel biomarkers were identified for the disease-free survival, which are helpful for fast diagnosis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyin Meng
- 1 Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Li
- 2 Precision Medicine Center, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Ren
- 2 Precision Medicine Center, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Shi
- 2 Precision Medicine Center, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianlong Men
- 2 Precision Medicine Center, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chawnshang Chang
- 1 Department of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,3 George Whipple Lab for Cancer Research, Departments of Urology, Pathology and the Cancer Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
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49
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A positive role of c-Myc in regulating androgen receptor and its splice variants in prostate cancer. Oncogene 2019; 38:4977-4989. [PMID: 30820039 PMCID: PMC6586509 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0768-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Increased expression of the full-length androgen receptor (AR-FL) and AR splice variants (AR-Vs) drives the progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The levels of AR-FL and AR-V transcripts are often tightly correlated in individual CRPC samples, yet our understanding of how their expression is co-regulated is limited. Here, we report a role of c-Myc in accounting for coordinated AR-FL and AR-V expression. Analysis of gene expression data from 159 metastatic CRPC samples and 2142 primary prostate tumors showed that the level of c-Myc is positively correlated with that of individual AR isoforms. A striking positive correlation also exists between the activity of the c-Myc pathway and the level of individual AR isoforms, between the level of c-Myc and the activity of the AR pathway, and between the activities of the two pathways. Moreover, the c-Myc signature is highly enriched in tumors expressing high levels of AR, as is the AR signature in c-Myc-high-expressing tumors. Using shRNA knockdown, we confirmed c-Myc regulation of expression and activity of AR-FL and AR-Vs in cell models and a patient-derived xenograft model. Mechanistically, c-Myc promotes the transcription of the AR gene and enhances the stability of the AR-FL and AR-V proteins without altering AR RNA splicing. Importantly, inhibiting c-Myc sensitizes enzalutamide-resistant cells to growth inhibition by enzalutamide. Overall, this study highlights a critical role of c-Myc in regulating the coordinated expression of AR-FL and AR-Vs that is commonly observed in CRPC and suggests the utility of targeting c-Myc as an adjuvant to AR-directed therapy.
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50
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Namekawa T, Ikeda K, Horie-Inoue K, Inoue S. Application of Prostate Cancer Models for Preclinical Study: Advantages and Limitations of Cell Lines, Patient-Derived Xenografts, and Three-Dimensional Culture of Patient-Derived Cells. Cells 2019; 8:cells8010074. [PMID: 30669516 PMCID: PMC6357050 DOI: 10.3390/cells8010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Various preclinical models have been developed to clarify the pathophysiology of prostate cancer (PCa). Traditional PCa cell lines from clinical metastatic lesions, as exemplified by DU-145, PC-3, and LNCaP cells, are useful tools to define mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis and drug resistance. Cell line-based experiments, however, have limitations for preclinical studies because those cells are basically adapted to 2-dimensional monolayer culture conditions, in which the majority of primary PCa cells cannot survive. Recent tissue engineering enables generation of PCa patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from both primary and metastatic lesions. Compared with fresh PCa tissue transplantation in athymic mice, co-injection of PCa tissues with extracellular matrix in highly immunodeficient mice has remarkably improved the success rate of PDX generation. PDX models have advantages to appropriately recapitulate the molecular diversity, cellular heterogeneity, and histology of original patient tumors. In contrast to PDX models, patient-derived organoid and spheroid PCa models in 3-dimensional culture are more feasible tools for in vitro studies for retaining the characteristics of patient tumors. In this article, we review PCa preclinical model cell lines and their sublines, PDXs, and patient-derived organoid and spheroid models. These PCa models will be applied to the development of new strategies for cancer precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Namekawa
- Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1241, Japan.
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Chiba 260-8677, Japan.
| | - Kazuhiro Ikeda
- Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1241, Japan.
| | - Kuniko Horie-Inoue
- Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1241, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Division of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1241, Japan.
- Department of Functional Biogerontology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan.
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