Lipid Uptake Is an Androgen-Enhanced Lipid Supply Pathway Associated with Prostate Cancer Disease Progression and Bone Metastasis

Universal high-throughput image quantification of subcellular structure dynamics and spatial distributions within cells

Image analysis of subcellular structures and biological processes relies on specific, context-dependent pipelines, which are labor-intensive, constrained by the intricacies of the specific biological system, and inaccessible to broader applications. Here we introduce the application of dispersion indices, a statistical tool traditionally employed by economists, to analyze the spatial distribution and heterogeneity of subcellular structures. This computationally efficient high-throughput approach, termed GRID (Generalized Readout of Image Dispersion), is highly generalizable, compatible with open-source image analysis software, and adaptable to diverse biological scenarios. GRID readily quantifies diverse structures and processes to include autophagic puncta, mitochondrial clustering, and microtubule dynamics. Further, GRID is versatile, applicable to both 2D cell cultures and 3D multicellular organoids, and suitable for high-throughput screening and performance metric measurements, such as half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values. The approach enables mechanistic analysis of critical subcellular structure processes of relevance for diseases ranging from metabolic and neuronal diseases to cancer as well as a first-pass screening method for identifying biologically active agents for drug discovery.

Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro-Inositol Reduce DHT-Stimulated Changes in the Steroidogenic Activity of Adult Granulosa Cell Tumors

Considering the properties of myo-inositol (MI) and D-chiro-inositol (DCI), which are well known in polycystic ovary syndrome therapy, and the limitations of adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) treatment, especially for androgen-secreting tumors, we studied the role of MI and DCI in the androgen-rich environment of AGCTs. For this purpose, we analyzed the mRNA expression of steroidogenic genes and the secretion of progesterone (P4) and 17β-estradiol (E2) in an unstimulated and/or dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-stimulated environment under MI and DCI influence. Thus, we used the HGrC1 and KGN cell lines as in vitro models of healthy and cancerous granulosa cells. We found that DHT, the most potent androgen, increased E2 secretion and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage gene (CYP11A1) mRNA expression without affecting 450 aromatase (CYP19A1) in AGCTs. However, after the MI and DCI treatment of KGN cells, both compounds strongly reduced StAR and CYP11A1 expression. Interestingly, in DHT-stimulated KGN cells, only DCI alone and its cotreatment with MI reduced both CYP11A1 mRNA and E2 secretion. These findings suggest that CYP11A1 is responsible for the antiestrogenic effect of DCI in the androgen-rich environment of AGCTs. Therefore, MI and DCI could be used as effective agents in the adjuvant treatment of AGCT, but further detailed studies are needed.

The miRNAs 203a/210-3p/5001-5p regulate the androgen/androgen receptor/YAP-induced migration in prostate cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) patients with elevated level of androgen receptor (AR) correlate with higher metastatic incidence. Protein expression of AR and its target gene prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are elevated in metastatic prostate tumors as compared to organ-confined tumors. Androgen treatment or elevation of AR promotes metastasis of PCa in cell culture and murine model. However, under androgen depleted condition, AR suppressed cell mobility and invasiveness of PCa cells. Androgen deprivation therapy in PCa patients is associated with higher risk of cancer metastasis. We therefore investigated the dual roles of AR and miRNAs on PCa metastasis.

METHODS

The PC-3AR (PC-3 cells re-expressing AR) and LNCaP cells were used as PCa cell model. Transwell migration and invasion assay, wound-healing assay, zebrafish xenotransplantation assay, and zebrafish vascular exit assay were used to investigate the role of AR and androgen on PCa metastasis. Micro-Western Array, co-immunoprecipitation and Immunofluorescence were applied to dissect the molecular mechanism lying underneath. The miRNA array, miRNA inhibitors or plasmid, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were used to study the role of miRNAs on PCa metastasis.

RESULTS

In the absence of androgen, AR repressed the migration and invasion of PCa cells. When androgen was present, AR stimulated the migration and invasion of PCa cells both in vitro and in zebrafish xenotransplantation model. Androgen increased phospho-AR Ser81 and yes-associated protein 1 (YAP), decreased phospho-YAP Ser217, and altered epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins in PCa cells. Co-IP assay demonstrated that androgen augmented the interaction between YAP and AR in nucleus. Knockdown of YAP or treatment with YAP inhibitor abolished the androgen-induced migration and invasion of PCa cells, while overexpression of YAP showed opposite effects. The miRNA array revealed that androgen decreased hsa-miR-5001-5p but increased hsa-miR-203a and hsa-miR-210-3p in PC-3AR cells but not PC-3 cells. Treatment with inhibitors targeting hsa-miR-203a/hsa-miR-210-3p, or overexpression of hsa-miR-5001-5p decreased YAP expression as well as suppressed the androgen-induced migration and invasion of PCa cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated that AR binds with promoter region of has-miR-210-3p in the presence of androgen.

CONCLUSIONS

Our observations indicated that miRNAs 203a/210-3p/5001-5p regulate the androgen/AR/YAP-induced PCa metastasis.

Targeting valine catabolism to inhibit metabolic reprogramming in prostate cancer

Metabolic reprogramming and energetic rewiring are hallmarks of cancer that fuel disease progression and facilitate therapy evasion. The remodelling of oxidative phosphorylation and enhanced lipogenesis have previously been characterised as key metabolic features of prostate cancer (PCa). Recently, succinate-dependent mitochondrial reprogramming was identified in high-grade prostate tumours, as well as upregulation of the enzymes associated with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism. In this study, we hypothesised that the degradation of the BCAAs, particularly valine, may play a critical role in anapleurotic refuelling of the mitochondrial succinate pool, as well as the maintenance of intracellular lipid metabolism. Through the suppression of BCAA availability, we report significantly reduced lipid content, strongly indicating that BCAAs are important lipogenic fuels in PCa. This work also uncovered a novel compensatory mechanism, whereby fatty acid uptake is increased in response to extracellular valine deprivation. Inhibition of valine degradation via suppression of 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase (HIBCH) resulted in a selective reduction of malignant prostate cell proliferation, decreased intracellular succinate and impaired cellular respiration. In combination with a comprehensive multi-omic investigation that incorporates next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, and high-content quantitative single-cell imaging, our work highlights a novel therapeutic target for selective inhibition of metabolic reprogramming in PCa.

ACSM1 and ACSM3 Regulate Fatty Acid Metabolism to Support Prostate Cancer Growth and Constrain Ferroptosis

Solid tumors are highly reliant on lipids for energy, growth, and survival. In prostate cancer, the activity of the androgen receptor (AR) is associated with reprogramming of lipid metabolic processes. Here, we identified acyl-CoA synthetase medium chain family members 1 and 3 (ACSM1 and ACSM3) as AR-regulated mediators of prostate cancer metabolism and growth. ACSM1 and ACSM3 were upregulated in prostate tumors compared with nonmalignant tissues and other cancer types. Both enzymes enhanced proliferation and protected prostate cancer cells from death in vitro, whereas silencing ACSM3 led to reduced tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft model. ACSM1 and ACSM3 were major regulators of the prostate cancer lipidome and enhanced energy production via fatty acid oxidation. Metabolic dysregulation caused by loss of ACSM1/3 led to mitochondrial oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and cell death by ferroptosis. Conversely, elevated ACSM1/3 activity enabled prostate cancer cells to survive toxic levels of medium chain fatty acids and promoted resistance to ferroptosis-inducing drugs and AR antagonists. Collectively, this study reveals a tumor-promoting function of medium chain acyl-CoA synthetases and positions ACSM1 and ACSM3 as key players in prostate cancer progression and therapy resistance. Significance: Androgen receptor-induced ACSM1 and ACSM3 mediate a metabolic pathway in prostate cancer that enables the utilization of medium chain fatty acids for energy production, blocks ferroptosis, and drives resistance to clinically approved antiandrogens.

Phospholipase PLA2G7 is complementary to GPX4 in mitigating punicic-acid-induced ferroptosis in prostate cancer cells

Ferroptosis is a cell death pathway that can be promoted by peroxidizable polyunsaturated fatty acids in cancer cells. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of punicic acid (PunA), an isomer of conjugated linolenic acids (CLnAs) bearing three conjugated double bonds highly prone to peroxidation, on prostate cancer (PCa) cells. PunA induced ferroptosis in PCa cells and triggered massive lipidome remodeling, more strongly in PC3 androgen-negative cells than in androgen-positive cells. The greater sensitivity of androgen-negative cells to PunA was associated with lower expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). We then identified the phospholipase PLA2G7 as a PunA-induced ferroptosis suppressor in PCa cells. Overexpressing PLA2G7 decreased lipid peroxidation levels, suggesting that PLA2G7 hydrolyzes hydroperoxide-containing phospholipids, thus preventing ferroptosis. Importantly, overexpressing both PLA2G7 and GPX4 strongly prevented PunA-induced ferroptosis in androgen-negative PCa cells. This study shows that PLA2G7 acts complementary to GPX4 to protect PCa cells from CLnA-induced ferroptosis.

Lipid metabolism and its implications in tumor cell plasticity and drug resistance: what we learned thus far?

Metabolic reprogramming, a hallmark of cancer, allows cancer cells to adapt to their specific energy needs. The Warburg effect benefits cancer cells in both hypoxic and normoxic conditions and is a well-studied reprogramming of metabolism in cancer. Interestingly, the alteration of other metabolic pathways, especially lipid metabolism has also grabbed the attention of scientists worldwide. Lipids, primarily consisting of fatty acids, phospholipids and cholesterol, play essential roles as structural component of cell membrane, signalling molecule and energy reserves. This reprogramming primarily involves aberrations in the uptake, synthesis and breakdown of lipids, thereby contributing to the survival, proliferation, invasion, migration and metastasis of cancer cells. The development of resistance to the existing treatment modalities poses a major challenge in the field of cancer therapy. Also, the plasticity of tumor cells was reported to be a contributing factor for the development of resistance. A number of studies implicated that dysregulated lipid metabolism contributes to tumor cell plasticity and associated drug resistance. Therefore, it is important to understand the intricate reprogramming of lipid metabolism in cancer cells. In this review, we mainly focused on the implication of disturbed lipid metabolic events on inducing tumor cell plasticity-mediated drug resistance. In addition, we also discussed the concept of lipid peroxidation and its crucial role in phenotypic switching and resistance to ferroptosis in cancer cells. Elucidating the relationship between lipid metabolism, tumor cell plasticity and emergence of resistance will open new opportunities to develop innovative strategies and combinatorial approaches for the treatment of cancer.

PaSTe. Blockade of the Lipid Phenotype of Prostate Cancer as Metabolic Therapy: A Theoretical Proposal

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in 112 countries and is the leading cause of death in eighteen. In addition to continuing research on prevention and early diagnosis, improving treatments and making them more affordable is imperative. In this sense, the therapeutic repurposing of low-cost and widely available drugs could reduce global mortality from this disease. The malignant metabolic phenotype is becoming increasingly important due to its therapeutic implications. Cancer generally is characterized by hyperactivation of glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and fatty acid synthesis. However, prostate cancer is particularly lipidic; it exhibits increased activity in the pathways for synthesizing fatty acids, cholesterol, and fatty acid oxidation (FAO).

OBJECTIVE

Based on a literature review, we propose the PaSTe regimen (Pantoprazole, Simvastatin, Trimetazidine) as a metabolic therapy for prostate cancer. Pantoprazole and simvastatin inhibit the enzymes fatty acid synthase (FASN) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl- coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), therefore, blocking the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, respectively. In contrast, trimetazidine inhibits the enzyme 3-β-Ketoacyl- CoA thiolase (3-KAT), an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of fatty acids (FAO). It is known that the pharmacological or genetic depletion of any of these enzymes has antitumor effects in prostatic cancer.

RESULTS

Based on this information, we hypothesize that the PaSTe regimen will have increased antitumor effects and may impede the metabolic reprogramming shift. Existing knowledge shows that enzyme inhibition occurs at molar concentrations achieved in plasma at standard doses of these drugs.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that this regimen deserves to be preclinically evaluated because of its clinical potential for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Lipids as mediators of cancer progression and metastasis

Metastasis formation is a complex process, involving multiple crucial steps, which are controlled by different regulatory mechanisms. In this context, the contribution of cancer metabolism to the metastatic cascade is being increasingly recognized. This Review focuses on changes in lipid metabolism that contribute to metastasis formation in solid tumors. We discuss the molecular mechanisms by which lipids induce a pro-metastatic phenotype and explore the role of lipids in response to oxidative stress and as signaling molecules. Finally, we reflect on potential avenues to target lipid metabolism to improve the treatment of metastatic cancers.

Integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles reveals enhanced arginine metabolism in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is a common solid tumor that affects a significant number of men worldwide. Conventional androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) increases the risk of developing castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Effective clinical management of patients with CRPC is challenging due to the limited understanding.

METHODS

In this study, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and the androgen-independent cells developed from LNCaP cells (LNCaP-ADR) were investigated using RNA-sequencing and LC-MS/MS, respectively. The differentially expressed genes and metabolites were analyzed, and integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data was further conducted to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic characteristics in LNCaP-ADR cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) was employed to ascertain the mRNA expression levels of the selected differentially expressed genes.

RESULTS

The arginine and proline metabolism pathway was identified as a commonly altered pathway at both the transcriptional and metabolic levels. In the LNCaP-ADR cells, significant upregulation was observed for metabolites including 5-Aminopentanoic acid, L-Arginine, L-Glutamic acid, N-Acetyl-L-alanine, and Pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid at the metabolic level. At the transcriptional level, MAOA, ALDH3A2, ALDH2, ARG1, CKMT2, and CNDP1 were found to be significantly upregulated in the LNCaP-ADR cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identified various enriched gene sets in the LNCaP-ADR cells, encompassing inflammatory response, 9plus2 motile cilium, motile cilium, ciliary plasm, cilium or flagellum-dependent cell motility, cilium movement, cilium, response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, PTEN DN.V1 DN, SRC UP.V1 UP, IL15 UP.V1 DN, RB DN.V1 DN, AKT UP MTOR DN.V1 UP, VEGF A UP.V1 UP, and KRAS.LUNG.BREAST UP.V1 UP.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the substantial association between the arginine and proline metabolism pathway and CRPC, emphasizing the need to prioritize strategies that target dysregulated metabolites and differentially expressed genes as essential interventions in the clinical management of CRPC.

Knockdown LIMP2 inhibits colorectal cancer cells migration, invasion, and metastasis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide nowadays and liver metastasis is the primary cause of death in patients with CRC. Although lysosomal integral membrane protein 2 (LIMP2) has been reported to play important roles in gastric cancer and prostate cancer, its role in CRC remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of LIMP2 in CRC invasion and migration, along with the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that LIMP2 levels were higher in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high expression of LIMP2 was associated with worse prognosis in CRC patients. Knockdown of LIMP2 significantly inhibited invasion, migration, and wound healing abilities of CRC cells in vitro, and inhibited CRC liver metastasis in vivo. Additionally, LIMP2 knockdown inhibited autophagy in CRC. Therefore, LIMP2 plays an important role in CRC progression. High expression of LIMP2 was associated with worse prognosis in CRC patients. Knockdown LIMP2 can effectively inhibit CRC cell migration and invasion in vitro and prevent liver metastasis in vivo. These findings suggest that LIMP2 may serve as an independent prognostic factor and potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Combination of metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis to decipher the mechanisms of total flavonoids of Litchi seed against prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES

To explore the underlying mechanism of total flavonoids of Litchi seed (TFLS) in treating prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODS

Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU incorporation assay, trypan blue dye assay and colony formation assay were employed to evaluate the effect of TFLS on PCa in vitro. The xenograft mouse model was established to explore the anti-tumour effect of TFLS in vivo. Alterations in the metabolic profiles of the PC3 cells and mouse serum were obtained by untargeted metabolomics. Combination with metabolomics analysis and network pharmacology strategies, the potential targets were predicted and further validated by RT-qPCR.

KEY FINDINGS

TFLS attenuated PCa progression both in vitro and in vivo. Metabolomics results yielded from cells and serum indicated that the anti-cancer effect of TFLS was correlated with synergistic modulation of five common metabolic pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism and steroid biosynthesis. Using in silico prediction and RT-qPCR analysis, we further revealed that TFLS exerted anti-PCa activities via regulating the expressions of nine genes, including MAOA, ACHE, ALDH2, AMD1, ARG1, PLA2G10, PLA2G1B, FDFT1 and SQLE.

CONCLUSIONS

TFLS suppressed tumour proliferation in PCa, which may be associated with regulating lipid and amino acid metabolisms.

3-tert-Butyl-4-hydroxyanisole perturbs renal lipid metabolism in vitro by targeting androgen receptor-regulated de novo lipogenesis

The widespread usage of 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (3-BHA) as an anthropogenic antioxidant has caused considerable environmental contamination and frequent detection in diverse human-derived samples. 3-BHA can promote adipogenesis and impair hepatic lipid metabolism, while its effects on renal lipid homeostasis remain to be uncertain. Herein, using the human kidney 2 (HK-2) cell experiments, 3-BHA was found to cause a significant reduction in lipid accumulation of the HK-2 cells in both exposure concentration- and duration-dependent manners. Exposure to 3-BHA lowered the transcriptional expressions of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), as well as ACC activity, indicating the inhibition in the process of de novo lipogenesis in HK-2 cells. On this basis, the mechanism study suggested that the reduced glucose absorption and accelerated glycolysis were concomitantly involved. The antagonism of 3-BHA on the transactivation of androgen receptor (AR) contributed to the lowered de novo lipogenesis and the consequent intracellular lipid reduction. The metabolomics data further confirmed the imbalance of lipid homeostasis and dysregulation of de novo lipogenesis. The new findings on the impaired renal lipid metabolism induced by 3-BHA warranted proper care about the usage of this chemical as a food additive.

Targeting lipid metabolism in metastatic prostate cancer

Despite key advances in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), a proportion of men have de novo resistance, and all will develop resistance to current therapeutics over time. Aberrant lipid metabolism has long been associated with prostate carcinogenesis and progression, but more recently there has been an explosion of preclinical and clinical data which is informing new clinical trials. This review explores the epidemiological links between obesity and metabolic syndrome and PCa, the evidence for altered circulating lipids in PCa and their potential role as biomarkers, as well as novel therapeutic strategies for targeting lipids in men with PCa, including therapies widely used in cardiovascular disease such as statins, metformin and lifestyle modification, as well as novel targeted agents such as sphingosine kinase inhibitors, DES1 inhibitors and agents targeting FASN and beta oxidation.

Ferroptosis heterogeneity in triple-negative breast cancer reveals an innovative immunotherapy combination strategy

Treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains challenging. Deciphering the orchestration of metabolic pathways in regulating ferroptosis will provide new insights into TNBC therapeutic strategies. Here, we integrated the multiomics data of our large TNBC cohort (n = 465) to develop the ferroptosis atlas. We discovered that TNBCs had heterogeneous phenotypes in ferroptosis-related metabolites and metabolic pathways. The luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype of TNBC was characterized by the upregulation of oxidized phosphatidylethanolamines and glutathione metabolism (especially GPX4), which allowed the utilization of GPX4 inhibitors to induce ferroptosis. Furthermore, we verified that GPX4 inhibition not only induced tumor ferroptosis but also enhanced antitumor immunity. The combination of GPX4 inhibitors and anti-PD1 possessed greater therapeutic efficacy than monotherapy. Clinically, higher GPX4 expression correlated with lower cytolytic scores and worse prognosis in immunotherapy cohorts. Collectively, this study demonstrated the ferroptosis landscape of TNBC and revealed an innovative immunotherapy combination strategy for refractory LAR tumors.

NRF2: A crucial regulator for mitochondrial metabolic shift and prostate cancer progression

Metabolic alterations are a common survival mechanism for prostate cancer progression and therapy resistance. Oxidative stress in the cellular and tumor microenvironment dictates metabolic switching in the cancer cells to adopt, prosper and escape therapeutic stress. Therefore, regulation of oxidative stress in tumor cells and in the tumor-microenvironment may enhance the action of conventional anticancer therapies. NRF2 is the master regulator for oxidative stress management. However, the overall oxidative stress varies with PCa clinical stage, metabolic state and therapy used for the cancer. In agreement, the blanket use of NRF2 inducers or inhibitors along with anticancer therapies cause adverse effects in some preclinical cancer models. In this review, we have summarized the levels of oxidative stress, metabolic preferences and NRF2 activity in the different stages of prostate cancer. We also propose condition specific ways to use NRF2 inducers or inhibitors along with conventional prostate cancer therapies. The significance of this review is not only to provide a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action of NRF2 to regulate oxidative stress-mediated metabolic switching by prostate cancer cells to escape the radiation, chemo, or hormonal therapies, and to grow aggressively, but also to provide a potential therapeutic method to control aggressive prostate cancer growth by stage specific proper use of NRF2 regulators.

Role of Lipids and Lipid Metabolism in Prostate Cancer Progression and the Tumor’s Immune Environment

Modulation of lipid metabolism during cancer development and progression is one of the hallmarks of cancer in solid tumors; its importance in prostate cancer (PCa) has been demonstrated in numerous studies. Lipid metabolism is known to interact with androgen receptor signaling, an established driver of PCa progression and castration resistance. Similarly, immune cell infiltration into prostate tissue has been linked with the development and progression of PCa as well as with disturbances in lipid metabolism. Immuno-oncological drugs inhibit immune checkpoints to activate immune cells’ abilities to recognize and destroy cancer cells. These drugs have proved to be successful in treating some solid tumors, but in PCa their efficacy has been poor, with only a small minority of patients demonstrating a treatment response. In this review, we first describe the importance of lipid metabolism in PCa. Second, we collate current information on how modulation of lipid metabolism of cancer cells and the surrounding immune cells may impact the tumor’s immune responses which, in part, may explain the unimpressive results of immune-oncological treatments in PCa.

Dual contribution of the mTOR pathway and of the metabolism of amino acids in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer in men, and its incidence increases with age. Among other risk factors, pre-existing metabolic diseases have been recently linked with prostate cancer, and our current knowledge recognizes prostate cancer as a condition with important metabolic anomalies as well. In malignancies, metabolic disorders are commonly associated with aberrations in mTOR, which is the master regulator of protein synthesis and energetic homeostasis. Although there are reports demonstrating the high dependency of prostate cancer cells for lipid derivatives and even for carbohydrates, the understanding regarding amino acids, and the relationship with the mTOR pathway ultimately resulting in metabolic aberrations, is still scarce.

CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

In this review, we briefly provide evidence supporting prostate cancer as a metabolic disease, and discuss what is known about mTOR signaling and prostate cancer. Next, we emphasized on the amino acids glutamine, leucine, serine, glycine, sarcosine, proline and arginine, commonly related to prostate cancer, to explore the alterations in their regulatory pathways and to link them with the associated metabolic reprogramming events seen in prostate cancer. Finally, we display potential therapeutic strategies for targeting mTOR and the referred amino acids, as experimental approaches to selectively attack prostate cancer cells.

Label-Free Imaging of Lipid Droplets in Prostate Cells Using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy and Multivariate Analysis

Hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a powerful imaging modality for the analysis of biological systems. Here, we report the application of k-means cluster analysis (KMCA) of multi-wavelength SRS images in the high-wavenumber region of the Raman spectrum as a robust and reliable method for the segmentation of cellular organelles based on the intrinsic SRS spectrum. KMCA has been applied to the study of the endogenous lipid biochemistry of prostate cancer and prostate healthy cell models, while the corresponding SRS spectrum of the lipid droplet (LD) cluster enabled direct comparison of their composition. The application of KMCA in visualizing the LD content of prostate cell models following the inhibition of de novo lipid synthesis (DNL) using the acetyl-coA carboxylase inhibitor, 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA), is demonstrated. This method identified a reliance of prostate cancer cell models upon DNL for metabolic requirements, with a significant reduction in the cellular LD content after treatment with TOFA, which was not observed in normal prostate cell models. SRS imaging combined with KMCA is a robust method for investigating drug–cell interactions in a label-free manner.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Inhibits Tumorigenesis of Renal Cell Carcinoma by Modulating Lipid Metabolism Targeting miR-454-3p to Repressing Metabolism Enzyme ACSL4

Background

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) affects the life quality of patients with advanced diseases despite good prognosis and exhibits abnormal lipid metabolism. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZONs) are metal oxide nanoparticles that are regarded as promising therapeutic candidate for multiple diseases. This study was for exploring the function of ZONs in RCC.

Methods

We established in vitro cell model and in vivo xenograft model to determine the antitumor effect of ZONs. Cell viability and proliferation were evaluated via the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) assay. Protein and RNA levels were checked by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR assay. ROS, malondialdehyde (MDA), triglyceride, and total cholesterol were quantified to assess lipid oxidation and synthesis. Oil red O staining was performed to check lipid droplets accumulation. The ACSL4 and miR-454-3p expression in tumor samples and normal tissues were evaluated. The luciferase reporter gene assay was performed for checking the interaction between miR-454-3p and ACSL4 3'UTR region.

Results

ZONs suppressed the proliferation and viability of RCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. ZONs suppressed accumulation of ROS, MDA, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and lipid droplets in RCC cells, along with upregulated miR-454-3p. miR-454-3p targeted the 3'UTR region to suppress its expression. In patient samples, ACSL4 expression was notably elevated and indicated poor prognosis of RCC patients.

Conclusion

ZONs treatment notably impeded proliferation, lipid accumulation, and oxidation in RCC cells, through upregulating miR-454-3p to suppression the function of ACSL4. Our data suggested that ZONs are promising and effective agent for RCC treatment.

Synthesis and Evaluation of 11C-Labeled Triazolones as Probes for Imaging Fatty Acid Synthase Expression by Positron Emission Tomography

Cancer cells require lipids to fulfill energetic, proliferative, and signaling requirements. Even though these cells can take up exogenous fatty acids, the majority exhibit a dependency on de novo fatty acid synthesis. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is the rate-limiting enzyme in this process. Expression and activity of FASN is elevated in multiple cancers, where it correlates with disease progression and poor prognosis. These observations have sparked interest in developing methods of detecting FASN expression in vivo. One promising approach is the imaging of radiolabeled molecular probes targeting FASN by positron emission tomography (PET). However, although [11C]acetate uptake by prostate cancer cells correlates with FASN expression, no FASN-specific PET probes currently exist. Our aim was to synthesize and evaluate a series of small molecule triazolones based on GSK2194069, an FASN inhibitor with IC50 = 7.7 ± 4.1 nM, for PET imaging of FASN expression. These triazolones were labeled with carbon-11 in good yield and excellent radiochemical purity, and binding to FASN-positive LNCaP cells was significantly higher than FASN-negative PC3 cells. Despite these promising characteristics, however, these molecules exhibited poor in vivo pharmacokinetics and were predominantly retained in lymph nodes and the hepatobiliary system. Future studies will seek to identify structural modifications that improve tumor targeting while maintaining the excretion profile of these first-generation 11C-methyltriazolones.

Lipid Metabolism and Epigenetics Crosstalk in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed malignant neoplasm in men in the Western world. Localized low-risk PCa has an excellent prognosis thanks to effective local treatments; however, despite the incorporation of new therapeutic strategies, metastatic PCa remains incurable mainly due to disease heterogeneity and the development of resistance to therapy. The mechanisms underlying PCa progression and therapy resistance are multiple and include metabolic reprogramming, especially in relation to lipid metabolism, as well as epigenetic remodelling, both of which enable cancer cells to adapt to dynamic changes in the tumour. Interestingly, metabolism and epigenetics are interconnected. Metabolism can regulate epigenetics through the direct influence of metabolites on epigenetic processes, while epigenetics can control metabolism by directly or indirectly regulating the expression of metabolic genes. Moreover, epidemiological studies suggest an association between a high-fat diet, which can alter the availability of metabolites, and PCa progression. Here, we review the alterations of lipid metabolism and epigenetics in PCa, before focusing on the mechanisms that connect them. We also discuss the influence of diet in this scenario. This information may help to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers as well as targetable vulnerabilities.

Personalized Medicine for Prostate Cancer: Is Targeting Metabolism a Reality?

Prostate cancer invokes major shifts in gene transcription and metabolic signaling to mediate alterations in nutrient acquisition and metabolic substrate selection when compared to normal tissues. Exploiting such metabolic reprogramming is proposed to enable the development of targeted therapies for prostate cancer, yet there are several challenges to overcome before this becomes a reality. Herein, we outline the role of several nutrients known to contribute to prostate tumorigenesis, including fatty acids, glucose, lactate and glutamine, and discuss the major factors contributing to variability in prostate cancer metabolism, including cellular heterogeneity, genetic drivers and mutations, as well as complexity in the tumor microenvironment. The review draws from original studies employing immortalized prostate cancer cells, as well as more complex experimental models, including animals and humans, that more accurately reflect the complexity of the in vivo tumor microenvironment. In synthesizing this information, we consider the feasibility and potential limitations of implementing metabolic therapies for prostate cancer management.

Role of Epigenetic Therapy in the Modulation of Tumor Growth and Migration in Human Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells with Neuroendocrine Differentiation

INTRODUCTION

Neuroendocrine transdifferentiation (NED) of prostate cancer (PC) cells is associated with the development of resistance to antiandrogen therapy and poor prognosis in patients with castration-resistant PC (CRPC). Many of the molecular events, involved in NED, appear to be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor activity and epigenetic modulation of 2 epigenetic drugs, such as the demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (AZA) and the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), in 2 human CRPC cell lines with NED (DU-145 and PC-3).

METHODS

The effects of AZA and SAM on cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling have been evaluated.

RESULTS

Both drugs showed a prominent antitumor activity in DU-145 and PC-3 cells, through perturbation of cell cycle progression, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of cell migration. AZA and SAM reversed NED in DU-145 and PC-3, respectively. Moreover, AZA treatment modified DNA methylation pattern in DU-145 cells, sustaining a pervasive hypomethylation of the genome, with a relevant effect on several pathways involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell migration, in particular Wnt/β-catenin.

CONCLUSIONS

A relevant antitumor activity of these epigenetic drugs on CRPC cell lines with NED opens a new scenario in the therapy of this lethal variant of PC.

Novel Strategy of Proxalutamide for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer through Coordinated Blockade of Lipogenesis and Androgen Receptor Axis

Objective: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant tumor diagnosed in men in developed countries. In developing countries, the PCa morbidity and mortality rates are also increasing rapidly. Since androgen receptor (AR) is a key driver and plays a critical role in the regulation of PCa development, AR-targeted agents provide a key component of current therapy regimens. However, even new-generation AR antagonists are prone to drug resistance, and there is currently no effective strategy for overcoming advanced PCa aggressiveness, including drug-resistance progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential efficacy and novel therapy strategy of proxalutamide (a newly developed AR antagonist) in PCa. Methods: Four PCa cell lines with various biological heterogeneities were utilized in this study, namely, androgen-sensitive/-insensitive with/without AR expression. Proliferation, migration and apoptosis assays in PCa cells were used to evaluate the effective therapeutic activity of proxalutamide. The changes in lipid droplet accumulation and lipidomic profiles were analyzed to determine the influence of proxalutamide on lipogenesis in PCa cells. The molecular basis of the effects of proxalutamide on lipogenesis and the AR axis was then further investigated. Results: Proxalutamide significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of PCa cells, and its inhibitory effect was superior to that of enzalutamide (Enz, second-generation AR antagonist). Proxalutamide induced the caspase-dependent apoptosis of PCa cells. Proxalutamide significantly diminished the level of lipid droplets in PCa cells, changed the lipid profile of PCa cells and reduced the content of most lipids (especially triglycerides) in PCa cells. Proxalutamide attenuated de novo lipogenesis by inhibiting the expression of ATP citrate lyase (ACL), acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1). Moreover, proxalutamide also decreased AR expression in PCa cells, and its inhibitory effect on lipogenesis did not depend on its ability to down-regulate AR expression. However, Enz had no effect on AR expression, lipid accumulation or lipid de novo synthesis in PCa cells. Conclusions: By co-targeting the AR axis and endogenous adipogenesis, a novel and promising strategy was established for proxalutamide to combat the progress of PCa. The unique effect of proxalutamide on the metabolic reprogramming of PCa provides a potential solution to overcome the resistance of current AR-targeted therapy, which will help to effectively prolong its clinical service life.

Tumour fatty acid metabolism in the context of therapy resistance and obesity

Fatty acid metabolism is known to support tumorigenesis and disease progression as well as treatment resistance through enhanced lipid synthesis, storage and catabolism. More recently, the role of membrane fatty acid composition, for example, ratios of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in promoting cell survival while limiting lipotoxicity and ferroptosis has been increasingly appreciated. Alongside these insights, it has become clear that tumour cells exhibit plasticity with respect to fatty acid metabolism, responding to extratumoural and systemic metabolic signals, such as obesity and cancer therapeutics, to promote the development of aggressive, treatment-resistant disease. Here, we describe cellular fatty acid metabolic changes that are connected to therapy resistance and contextualize obesity-associated changes in host fatty acid metabolism that likely influence the local tumour microenvironment to further modify cancer cell behaviour while simultaneously creating potential new vulnerabilities.

Lipid profiling using Raman and a modified support vector machine algorithm

Lipid droplets are dynamic organelles that play important cellular roles. They are composed of a phospholipid membrane and a core of triglycerides and sterol esters. Fatty acids have important roles in phospholipid membrane formation, signaling, and synthesis of triglycerides as energy storage. Better non-invasive tools for profiling and measuring cellular lipids are needed. Here we demonstrate the potential of Raman spectroscopy to determine with high accuracy the composition changes of the fatty acids and cholesterol found in the lipid droplets of prostate cancer cells treated with various fatty acids. The methodology uses a modified least squares fitting (LSF) routine that uses highly discriminatory wavenumbers between the fatty acids present in the sample using a support vector machine algorithm. Using this new LSF routine, Raman micro-spectroscopy can become a better non-invasive tool for profiling and measuring fatty acids and cholesterol for cancer biology.

LINC00514 promotes lipogenesis and tumor progression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR‑378a‑5p to enhance SPHK1 expression

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that long non‑coding RNAs serve pivotal roles in tumor development, progression, metastasis and metabolism. However, to the best of our knowledge, the roles and molecular mechanisms of long intergenic nonprotein‑coding RNA 00514 (LINC00514) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unknown. The present study found that LINC00514 and sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) were both upregulated in ESCC tissues and cells, and their high expression levels were closely associated with Tumor‑Node‑Metastasis stage, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of patients with ESCC. Functionally, knockdown of LINC00514 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion, and led to the downregulation of lipogenesis‑related proteins, including SPHK1, fatty acid synthase, acetyl‑coenzyme (Co)A carboxylase α and stearoyl‑CoA desaturase 1, whereas LINC00514 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and invasion in ESCC KYSE150 and KYSE30 cells, and upregulated expression of lipogenesis‑related proteins. Mechanistically, LINC00514 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA by sponging microRNA (miR)‑378a‑5p, resulting in the upregulation of SPHK1, which was accompanied by the activation of lipogenesis‑related pathways, to promote ESCC cell proliferation and invasion. Taken together, these findings suggest that LINC00514 may participate in ESCC lipogenesis, and targeting the LINC00514/miR‑378a‑5p/SPHK1 signaling axis may be a novel and promising therapeutic strategy for management of patients with ESCC.

Identification of Androgen Receptor Metabolic Correlome Reveals the Repression of Ceramide Kinase by Androgens

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers in men. Androgen receptor signaling plays a major role in this disease, and androgen deprivation therapy is a common therapeutic strategy in recurrent disease. Sphingolipid metabolism plays a central role in cell death, survival, and therapy resistance in cancer. Ceramide kinase (CERK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of ceramide to ceramide 1-phosphate, which regulates various cellular functions including cell growth and migration. Here we show that activated androgen receptor (AR) is a repressor of CERK expression. We undertook a bioinformatics strategy using PCa transcriptomics datasets to ascertain the metabolic alterations associated with AR activity. CERK was among the most prominent negatively correlated genes in our analysis. Interestingly, we demonstrated through various experimental approaches that activated AR reduces the mRNA expression of CERK: (i) expression of CERK is predominant in cell lines with low or negative AR activity; (ii) AR agonist and antagonist repress and induce CERK mRNA expression, respectively; (iii) orchiectomy in wildtype mice or mice with PCa (harboring prostate-specific Pten deletion) results in elevated Cerk mRNA levels in prostate tissue. Mechanistically, we found that AR represses CERK through interaction with its regulatory elements and that the transcriptional repressor EZH2 contributes to this process. In summary, we identify a repressive mode of AR that influences the expression of CERK in PCa.

Prostate Cancer Progression: as a Matter of Fats

Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) represents the fifth cause of cancer death worldwide. Although survival has improved with second-generation androgen signaling and Parp inhibitors, the benefits are not long-lasting, and new therapeutic approaches are sorely needed. Lipids and their metabolism have recently reached the spotlight with accumulating evidence for their role as promoters of PCa development, progression, and metastasis. As a result, interest in targeting enzymes/transporters involved in lipid metabolism is rapidly growing. Moreover, the use of lipogenic signatures to predict prognosis and resistance to therapy has been recently explored with promising results. Despite the well-known association between obesity with PCa lethality, the underlying mechanistic role of diet/obesity-derived metabolites has only lately been unveiled. Furthermore, the role of lipids as energy source, building blocks, and signaling molecules in cancer cells has now been revisited and expanded in the context of the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is heavily influenced by the external environment and nutrient availability. Here, we describe how lipids, their enzymes, transporters, and modulators can promote PCa development and progression, and we emphasize the role of lipids in shaping TME. In a therapeutic perspective, we describe the ongoing efforts in targeting lipogenic hubs. Finally, we highlight studies supporting dietary modulation in the adjuvant setting with the purpose of achieving greater efficacy of the standard of care and of synthetic lethality. PCa progression is "a matter of fats", and the more we understand about the role of lipids as key players in this process, the better we can develop approaches to counteract their tumor promoter activity while preserving their beneficial properties.

Impact of Pretreatment Total Cholesterol Level Is Associated With Metastasis of Prostate Cancer

Metabolic syndrome is reported to play a role in the genesis and development not only of angina, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and osteoporosis but also of prostate cancer. Hypercholesterolemia is a strong risk factor in prostate cancer development. The current study was conducted to analyze whether pretreatment serum levels of cholesterol correlate with prostate cancer metastasis. Three hundred fifty-one subjects who received a histopathological diagnosis of prostate cancer were evaluated by clinical factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), disease stage, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), total cholesterol, Luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and free testosterone. A multivariate analysis was performed on these factors, and a statistically significant difference was identified in total cholesterol level (p =.01) and PSA (p < .001). The total cholesterol level was higher in cases of metastatic prostate cancer compared to nonmetastatic prostate cancer in this study and therefore may be a predictive factor for poor prognosis.

The Correlation between Lipid Metabolism Disorders and Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer affecting the male population all over the world. The existence of a correlation between lipid metabolism disorders and cancer of the prostate gland has been widely known for a long time. According to hypotheses, cholesterol may contribute to prostate cancer progression as a result of its participation as a signaling molecule in prostate growth and differentiation via numerous biologic mechanisms including Akt signaling and de novo steroidogenesis. The results of some studies suggest that increased cholesterol levels may be associated with a higher risk of a more aggressive course of the disease. The aforementioned alterations in the synthesis of fatty acids are a unique feature of cancer and, therefore, constitute an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of prostate cancer. Pharmacological or gene therapy aims to reduce the activity of enzymes involved in de novo synthesis of fatty acids, FASN, ACLY (ATP citrate lyase) or SCD-1 (Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase) in particular, that may result in cells growth arrest. Nevertheless, not all cancers are unequivocally associated with hypocholesterolaemia. It cannot be ruled out that the relationship between prostate cancer and lipid disorders is not a direct quantitative correlation between carcinogenesis and the amount of circulating cholesterol. Perhaps the correspondence is more sophisticated and connected to the distribution of cholesterol fractions or even sub-fractions of e.g. HDL cholesterol.

Molecular phyloecology suggests a trophic shift concurrent with the evolution of the first birds

Birds are characterized by evolutionary specializations of both locomotion (e.g., flapping flight) and digestive system (toothless, crop, and gizzard), while the potential selection pressures responsible for these evolutionary specializations remain unclear. Here we used a recently developed molecular phyloecological method to reconstruct the diets of the ancestral archosaur and of the common ancestor of living birds (CALB). Our results suggest a trophic shift from carnivory to herbivory (fruit, seed, and/or nut eater) at the archosaur-to-bird transition. The evolutionary shift of the CALB to herbivory may have essentially made them become a low-level consumer and, consequently, subject to relatively high predation risk from potential predators such as gliding non-avian maniraptorans, from which birds descended. Under the relatively high predation pressure, ancestral birds with gliding capability may have then evolved not only flapping flight as a possible anti-predator strategy against gliding predatory non-avian maniraptorans but also the specialized digestive system as an evolutionary tradeoff of maximizing foraging efficiency and minimizing predation risk. Our results suggest that the powered flight and specialized digestive system of birds may have evolved as a result of their tropic shift-associated predation pressure.

Synthesis and fluorine-18 radiolabeling of a phospholipid as a PET imaging agent for prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION

Altered lipid metabolism and subsequent changes in cellular lipid composition have been observed in prostate cancer cells, are associated with poor clinical outcome, and are promising targets for metabolic therapies. This study reports for the first time on the synthesis of a phospholipid radiotracer based on the phospholipid 1,2-didocosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC44:12) to allow tracking of polyunsaturated lipid tumor uptake via PET imaging. This tracer may aid in the development of strategies to modulate response to therapies targeting lipid metabolism in prostate cancer.

METHODS

Lipidomics analysis of prostate tumor explants and LNCaP tumor cells were used to identify PC44:12 as a potential phospholipid candidate for radiotracer development. Synthesis of phosphocholine precursor and non-radioactive standard were optimised using click chemistry. The biodistribution of a fluorine-18 labeled analogue, N-{[4-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-2,3,4-triazol-1-yl]methyl}-1,2-didocosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine ([18F]2) was determined in LNCaP prostate tumor-bearing NOD SCID gamma mice by ex vivo biodistribution and PET imaging studies and compared to biodistribution of [18F]fluoromethylcholine.

RESULTS

[18F]2 was produced with a decay-corrected yield of 17.8 ± 3.7% and an average radiochemical purity of 97.00 ± 0.89% (n = 6). Molar activity was 85.1 ± 3.45 GBq/μmol (2300 ± 93 mCi/μmol) and the total synthesis time was 2 h. Ex vivo biodistribution data demonstrated high liver uptake (41.1 ± 9.2%ID/g) and high splenic uptake (10.9 ± 9.1%ID/g) 50 min post-injection. Ex vivo biodistribution showed low absolute tumor uptake of [18F]2 (0.8 ± 0.3%ID/g). However, dynamic PET imaging demonstrated an increase over time of the relative tumor-to-muscle ratio with a peak of 2.8 ± 0.5 reached 1 h post-injection. In contrast, dynamic PET of [18F]fluoromethylcholine demonstrated no increase in tumor-to-muscle ratios due to an increase in both tumor and muscle over time. Absolute uptake of [18F]fluoromethylcholine was higher and peaked at 60 min post injection (2.25 ± 0.29%ID/g) compared to [18F]2 (1.44 ± 0.06%ID/g) during the 1 h dynamic scan period.

CONCLUSIONS AND ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

This study demonstrates the ability to radiolabel phospholipids and indicates the potential to monitor the in vivo distribution of phospholipids using fluorine-18 based PET.

The potent AMPK inhibitor BAY-3827 shows strong efficacy in androgen-dependent prostate cancer models

PURPOSE

5' adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) is an essential regulator of cellular energy homeostasis and has been associated with different pathologies, including cancer. Precisely defining the biological role of AMPK necessitates the availability of a potent and selective inhibitor.

METHODS

High-throughput screening and chemical optimization were performed to identify a novel AMPK inhibitor. Cell proliferation and mechanistic assays, as well as gene expression analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation were used to investigate the cellular impact as well as the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and androgen signaling in prostate cancer models. Also, fatty acid turnover was determined by examining lipid droplet formation.

RESULTS

We identified BAY-3827 as a novel and potent AMPK inhibitor with additional activity against ribosomal 6 kinase (RSK) family members. It displays strong anti-proliferative effects in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell lines. Analysis of genes involved in AMPK signaling revealed that the expression of those encoding 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), fatty acid synthase (FASN) and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 2 (PFKFB2), all of which are involved in lipid metabolism, was strongly upregulated by androgen in responsive models. Chromatin immunoprecipitation DNA-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis identified several androgen receptor (AR) binding peaks in the HMGCR and PFKFB2 genes. BAY-3827 strongly down-regulated the expression of lipase E (LIPE), cAMP-dependent protein kinase type II-beta regulatory subunit (PRKAR2B) and serine-threonine kinase AKT3 in responsive prostate cancer cell lines. Also, the expression of members of the carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 (CPT1) family was inhibited by BAY-3827, and this was paralleled by impaired lipid flux.

CONCLUSIONS

The availability of the potent inhibitor BAY-3827 will contribute to a better understanding of the role of AMPK signaling in cancer, especially in prostate cancer.

An Amplified Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Gene Cluster in Prostate Cancer: Emerging Roles in Lipid Metabolism and Metastasis

Treatment for early stage and localized prostate cancer (PCa) is highly effective. Patient survival, however, drops dramatically upon metastasis due to drug resistance and cancer recurrence. The molecular mechanisms underlying PCa metastasis are complex and remain unclear. It is therefore crucial to decipher the key genetic alterations and relevant molecular pathways driving PCa metastatic progression so that predictive biomarkers and precise therapeutic targets can be developed. Through PCa cohort analysis, we found that a fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) gene cluster (containing five FABP family members) is preferentially amplified and overexpressed in metastatic PCa. All five FABP genes reside on chromosome 8 at 8q21.13, a chromosomal region frequently amplified in PCa. There is emerging evidence that these FABPs promote metastasis through distinct biological actions and molecular pathways. In this review, we discuss how these FABPs may serve as drivers/promoters for PCa metastatic transformation using patient cohort analysis combined with a review of the literature.

Sulfatide-Rich Liposome Uptake by a Human-Derived Neuroblastoma Cell Line

Liposomes are bilayer membrane vesicles that can serve as vehicles for drug delivery. They are a good alternative to free drug administration that provides cell-targeted delivery into tumors, limiting the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. Previous results from our group showed that an astrocytoma cell line exhibits selective uptake of sulfatide-rich (SCB) liposomes, mediated by the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R). The goal of this study was to assess the uptake of liposomes in a neuroblastoma cell line. For this purpose, we used two types of liposomes, one representing a regular cell membrane (DOPC) and another rich in myelin components (SCB). An astrocytoma cell line was used as a control. Characterization of liposome uptake and distribution was conducted by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Similar levels of LDL-R expression were found in both cell lines. The uptake of SCB liposomes was higher than that of DOPC liposomes. No alterations in cell viability were found. SCB liposomes were located near the cell membrane and did not colocalize within the acidic cellular compartments. Two endocytic pathway inhibitors did not affect the liposome uptake. Neuroblastoma cells exhibited a similar uptake of SCB liposomes as astrocytoma cells; however, the pathway involved appeared to be different than the hypothesized pathway of LDL-R clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Metabolic regulation of prostate cancer heterogeneity and plasticity

Metabolic reprogramming is one of the main hallmarks of cancer cells. It refers to the metabolic adaptations of tumor cells in response to nutrient deficiency, microenvironmental insults, and anti-cancer therapies. Metabolic transformation during tumor development plays a critical role in the continued tumor growth and progression and is driven by a complex interplay between the tumor mutational landscape, epigenetic modifications, and microenvironmental influences. Understanding the tumor metabolic vulnerabilities might open novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches with the potential to improve the efficacy of current tumor treatments. Prostate cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease harboring different mutations and tumor cell phenotypes. While the increase of intra-tumor genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity is associated with tumor progression, less is known about metabolic regulation of prostate cancer cell heterogeneity and plasticity. This review summarizes the central metabolic adaptations in prostate tumors, state-of-the-art technologies for metabolic analysis, and the perspectives for metabolic targeting and diagnostic implications.

Revisiting prostate cancer metabolism: From metabolites to disease and therapy

Prostate cancer (PCa), one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, still presents important unmet clinical needs concerning treatment. In the last years, the metabolic reprogramming and the specificities of tumor cells emerged as an exciting field for cancer therapy. The unique features of PCa cells metabolism, and the activation of specific metabolic pathways, propelled the use of metabolic inhibitors for treatment. The present work revises the knowledge of PCa metabolism and the metabolic alterations that underlie the development and progression of the disease. A focus is given to the role of bioenergetic sources, namely, glucose, lipids, and glutamine sustaining PCa cell survival and growth. Moreover, it is described as the action of oncogenes/tumor suppressors and sex steroid hormones in the metabolic reprogramming of PCa. Finally, the status of PCa treatment based on the inhibition of metabolic pathways is presented. Globally, this review updates the landscape of PCa metabolism, highlighting the critical metabolic alterations that could have a clinical and therapeutic interest.

Exosomal cargoes in OSCC: current findings and potential functions

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignancy in head and neck cancer, with high recurrence and mortality. Early diagnosis and efficient therapeutic strategies are vital for the treatment of OSCC patients. Exosomes can be isolated from a broad range of different cell types, implicating them as important factors in the regulation of human physiological and pathological processes. Due to their abundant cargo including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, exosomes have played a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic role across multiple diseases, including cancer. In this review, we summarize recent findings concerning the content within and participation of exosomes relating to OSCC and their roles in tumorigenesis, proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance. We conclude this review by looking ahead to their potential utility in providing new methods for treating OSCC to inspire further research in this field.

The FABP12/PPARγ pathway promotes metastatic transformation by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and lipid-derived energy production in prostate cancer cells

Early stage localized prostate cancer (PCa) has an excellent prognosis; however, patient survival drops dramatically when PCa metastasizes. The molecular mechanisms underlying PCa metastasis are complex and remain unclear. Here, we examine the role of a new member of the fatty acid‐binding protein (FABP) family, FABP12, in PCa progression. FABP12 is preferentially amplified and/or overexpressed in metastatic compared to primary tumors from both PCa patients and xenograft animal models. We show that FABP12 concurrently triggers metastatic phenotypes (induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) leading to increased cell motility and invasion) and lipid bioenergetics (increased fatty acid uptake and accumulation, increased ATP production from fatty acid β‐oxidation) in PCa cells, supporting increased reliance on fatty acids for energy production. Mechanistically, we show that FABP12 is a driver of PPARγ activation which, in turn, regulates FABP12's role in lipid metabolism and PCa progression. Our results point to a novel role for a FABP‐PPAR pathway in promoting PCa metastasis through induction of EMT and lipid bioenergetics.

Androgen Receptor Signaling and Metabolic and Cellular Plasticity During Progression to Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

Metabolic reprogramming is associated with re/activation and antagonism of androgen receptor (AR) signaling that drives prostate cancer (PCa) progression to castration resistance, respectively. In particular, AR signaling influences the fates of citrate that uniquely characterizes normal and malignant prostatic metabolism (i.e., mitochondrial export and extracellular secretion in normal prostate, mitochondrial retention and oxidation to support oxidative phenotype of primary PCa, and extra-mitochondrial interconversion into acetyl-CoA for fatty acid synthesis and epigenetics in the advanced PCa). The emergence of castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) involves reactivation of AR signaling, which is then further targeted by androgen synthesis inhibitors (abiraterone) and AR-ligand inhibitors (enzalutamide, apalutamide, and daroglutamide). However, based on AR dependency, two distinct metabolic and cellular adaptations contribute to development of resistance to these agents and progression to aggressive and lethal disease, with the tumor ultimately becoming highly glycolytic and with imaging by a tracer of tumor energetics, 18F-fluorodoxyglucose (18F-FDG). Another major resistance mechanism involves a lineage alteration into AR-indifferent carcinoma such a neuroendocrine which is diagnostically characterized by robust 18F-FDG uptake and loss of AR signaling. PCa is also characterized by metabolic alterations such as fatty acid and polyamine metabolism depending on AR signaling. In some cases, AR targeting induces rather than suppresses these alterations in cellular metabolism and energetics, which can be explored as therapeutic targets in lethal CRPC.

Cytotoxicity and Radiosensitizing Activity of the Fatty Acid Synthase Inhibitor C75 Is Enhanced by Blocking Fatty Acid Uptake in Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancers, like many other types of cancer, express elevated levels of fatty acid synthase (FASN) to make more fatty acids, which are required for energy, signaling, and proliferation. Because inhibition of FASN has been shown to sensitize tumors to chemotherapy and radiation, we studied the effect of C75, a radiosensitizing FASN inhibitor, and compared its single agent and radiosensitizing activities in 2 prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and LNCaP, with alternative FASN inhibitors that have progressed into clinical trials. We also investigated the effect of serum and fatty acid supplementation on responses to FASN inhibitors, probing expression of key proteins related to fatty acid uptake in response to FASN inhibition, irradiation, and serum lipid concentration and how this may be modulated to increase the potency of C75. We demonstrated that C75 was the only FASN inhibitor to sensitize cells to ionizing radiation; no sensitization was apparent with FASN inhibitors TVB-3166 or Orlistat. The prostate cancer cell lines were able to take up fatty acids from the culture medium, and the availability of fatty acids affected sensitivity of these cells to C75 but not the other FASN inhibitors tested. C75 also increased expression of fatty acid transporter proteins FATP1 and CD36. Furthermore, blocking CD36 with antibody increased the sensitivity of cells to C75. We suggest that the potency of C75 is affected by fatty acid availability and that the effectiveness of FASN inhibitors in combination with ionizing radiation can be further enhanced by regulating fatty acid uptake.

Docosahexaenoic acid differentially modulates the cell cycle and metabolism- related genes in tumor and pre-malignant prostate cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) has different molecular features along progression, including androgen profile, which is associated to therapy inefficiency leading to more aggressive phenotype. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties in different cancers associated to cell metabolism modulation. The latter is of particular interest since metabolic reprogramming is one of PCa hallmarks, but is not clear how this occurs among disease progression. Therefore, we evaluated DHA antiproliferative potential in distinct androgenic backgrounds associated to metabolism modulation and androgen-regulated genes. For this purpose, pre-malignant PNT1A and tumor AR-positive 22rv1, and AR-negative PC3 cells were incubated with DHA at 100 μM-48 h. DHA reduced at least 26% cell number for all lineages due to S-phase decrease in AR-positive and G2/M arrest in AR-negative. Mitochondrial metabolic rate decreased in PNT1A (~38%) and increased in tumor cells (at least 40%). This was associated with ROS overproduction (1.6-fold PNT1A; 2.1 22rv1; 2.2 PC3), lipid accumulation (3-fold PNT1A; 1.8 22rv1; 3.6 PC3) and mitochondria damage in all cell lines. AKT, AMPK and PTEN were not activated in any cell line, but p-ERK1/2 increased (1.5-fold) in PNT1A. Expression of androgen-regulated and nuclear receptors genes showed that DHA affected them in a distinct pattern in each cell line, but most converged to metabolism regulation, response to hormones, lipids and stress. In conclusion, regardless of androgenic or PTEN background DHA exerted antiproliferative effect associated to cell cycle impairment, lipid deregulation and oxidative stress, but differentially regulated gene expression probably due to distinct molecular features of each pathologic stage.

Therapy-induced lipid uptake and remodeling underpin ferroptosis hypersensitivity in prostate cancer

Background

Metabolic reprograming, non-mutational epigenetic changes, increased cell plasticity, and multidrug tolerance are early hallmarks of therapy resistance in cancer. In this temporary, therapy-tolerant state, cancer cells are highly sensitive to ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death that is caused by oxidative stress through excess levels of iron-dependent peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). However, mechanisms underpinning therapy-induced ferroptosis hypersensitivity remain to be elucidated.

Methods

We used quantitative single-cell imaging of fluorescent metabolic probes, transcriptomics, proteomics, and lipidomics to perform a longitudinal analysis of the adaptive response to androgen receptor-targeted therapies (androgen deprivation and enzalutamide) in prostate cancer (PCa).

Results

We discovered that cessation of cell proliferation and a robust reduction in bioenergetic processes were associated with multidrug tolerance and a strong accumulation of lipids. The gain in lipid biomass was fueled by enhanced lipid uptake through cargo non-selective (macropinocytosis, tunneling nanotubes) and cargo-selective mechanisms (lipid transporters), whereas de novo lipid synthesis was strongly reduced. Enzalutamide induced extensive lipid remodeling of all major phospholipid classes at the expense of storage lipids, leading to increased desaturation and acyl chain length of membrane lipids. The rise in membrane PUFA levels enhanced membrane fluidity and lipid peroxidation, causing hypersensitivity to glutathione peroxidase (GPX4) inhibition and ferroptosis. Combination treatments against AR and fatty acid desaturation, lipase activities, or growth medium supplementation with antioxidants or PUFAs altered GPX4 dependence.

Conclusions

Our work provides mechanistic insight into processes of lipid metabolism that underpin the acquisition of therapy-induced GPX4 dependence and ferroptosis hypersensitivity to standard of care therapies in PCa. It demonstrates novel strategies to suppress the therapy-tolerant state that may have potential to delay and combat resistance to androgen receptor-targeted therapies, a currently unmet clinical challenge of advanced PCa. Since enhanced GPX4 dependence is an adaptive phenotype shared by several types of cancer in response to different therapies, our work might have universal implications for our understanding of metabolic events that underpin resistance to cancer therapies.

Metabolic Fitness and Plasticity in Cancer Progression

Cancer cells have enhanced metabolic needs due to their rapid proliferation. Moreover, throughout their progression from tumor precursors to metastases, cancer cells face challenging physiological conditions, including hypoxia, low nutrient availability, and exposure to therapeutic drugs. The ability of cancer cells to tailor their metabolic activities to support their energy demand and biosynthetic needs throughout disease progression is key for their survival. Here, we review the metabolic adaptations of cancer cells, from primary tumors to therapy resistant cancers, and the mechanisms underpinning their metabolic plasticity. We also discuss the metabolic coupling that can develop between tumors and the tumor microenvironment. Finally, we consider potential metabolic interventions that could be used in combination with standard therapeutic approaches to improve clinical outcome.

SREBP1 siRNA enhance the docetaxel effect based on a bone-cancer dual-targeting biomimetic nanosystem against bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Until recently, there have been limited options for patients with bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (BmCRPC) following the failure of or development of resistance to docetaxel (DTX), which is one of the frontline treatments. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) is reported to regulate abnormal lipid metabolism and to promote the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa). The siRNA interferes SREBP1 may provide an efficient treatment when combined with DTX. Methods: In this study, lipoic acid (LA) and cross-linked peptide-lipoic acid micelles were cross-linked (LC) for DTX and siSREBP1 delivery (LC/D/siR). Then, cell membrane of PCa cells (Pm) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (Bm) were fused for cloaking LC/D/siR (PB@LC/D/siR). Finally, the synthesized PB@LC/D/siR was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results: PB@LC/D/siR is internalized in PCa cells by a mechanism of lysosome escape. Tumor targeting and bone homing studies are evaluated using bone metastatic CRPC (BmCRPC) models, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the enhanced anti-proliferation, anti-migration and anti-invasion capacities of DTX- and siSREBP1- loaded PB@LC (PB@LC/D/siR) were observed in vitro. Furthermore, PB@LC/D/siR was able to suppress the growth of the tumor effectively with deep tumor penetration, high safety and good protection of the bone at the tumor site. Additionally, the mRNA levels and protein levels of SREBP1 and SCD1 were able to be significantly downregulated by PB@LC/D/siR. Conclusion: This study presented a bone-cancer dual-targeting biomimetic nanodelivery system for bone metastatic CRPC.

Lipogenic effects of androgen signaling in normal and malignant prostate

Prostate cancer is an androgen-dependent cancer with unique metabolic features compared to many other solid tumors, and typically does not exhibit the “Warburg effect”. During malignant transformation, an early metabolic switch diverts the dependence of normal prostate cells on aerobic glycolysis for the synthesis of and secretion of citrate towards a more energetically favorable metabolic phenotype, whereby citrate is actively oxidised for energy and biosynthetic processes (i.e. de novo lipogenesis). It is now clear that lipid metabolism is one of the key androgen-regulated processes in prostate cells and alterations in lipid metabolism are a hallmark of prostate cancer, whereby increased de novo lipogenesis accompanied by overexpression of lipid metabolic genes are characteristic of primary and advanced disease. Despite recent advances in our understanding of altered lipid metabolism in prostate tumorigenesis and cancer progression, the intermediary metabolism of the normal prostate and its relationship to androgen signaling remains poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the fundamental metabolic relationships that are distinctive in normal versus malignant prostate tissues, and the role of androgens in the regulation of lipid metabolism at different stages of prostate tumorigenesis.

Lipid Metabolism and Endocrine Resistance in Prostate Cancer, and New Opportunities for Therapy

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men, and more than 10% of men will be diagnosed with PCa during their lifetime. Patients that are not cured with surgery or radiation are largely treated with endocrine therapies that target androgens or the androgen receptor (AR), a major driver of PCa. In response to androgen deprivation, most PCas progress to castrate resistant PCa, which is treated with anti-androgens like enzalutamide, but tumors still progress and become incurable. Thus, there is a critical need to identify cellular pathways that allow tumors to escape anti-androgen therapies. Epidemiological studies suggest that high-fat diets play important roles in PCa progression. Lipid metabolism rewires the PCa metabolome to support growth and resistance to endocrine therapies, although the exact mechanisms remain obscure. Therapeutic effects have been observed inhibiting several aspects of PCa lipid metabolism: Synthesis, uptake, and oxidation. Since AR remains a driver of PCa in advanced disease, strategies targeting both lipid metabolism and AR are starting to emerge, providing new opportunities to re-sensitize tumors to endocrine therapies with lipid metabolic approaches.