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Atri Roozbahani G, Kokal-Ribaudo M, Heidari Horestani M, Pungsrinont T, Baniahmad A. The protein composition of exosomes released by prostate cancer cells is distinctly regulated by androgen receptor-antagonists and -agonist to stimulate growth of target cells. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:219. [PMID: 38589887 PMCID: PMC11000412 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01584-z] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent malignancy in men worldwide, ranking as the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Western countries. Various PCa hormone therapies, such as androgen receptor (AR)-antagonists or supraphysiological androgen level (SAL) reduce cancer cell proliferation. However, treated cells may influence the growth of neighboring cells through secreted exosomes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, the change of protein content of exosomes secreted from PCa cells through treatment with different AR-antagonists or SAL has been analyzed. METHODS Isolation of exosomes via ultracentrifugation of treated human PCa LNCaP cells with AR-agonist and various AR-antagonists; analysis of cellular senescence by detection of senescence associated beta galactosidase activity (SA β-Gal); Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining; Mass spectrometry (MS-spec) of exosomes and bioinformatic analyses to identify ligand-specific exosomal proteins. Growth assays to analyze influence of exosomes on non-treated cells. RESULTS MS-spec analysis identified ligand-specific proteins in exosomes. One thousand seventy proteins were up- and 52 proteins downregulated by SAL whereas enzalutamide upregulated 151 proteins and downregulated 42 exosomal proteins. The bioinformatic prediction indicates an up-regulation of pro-proliferative pathways. AR ligands augment hub factors in exosomes that include AKT1, CALM1, PAK2 and CTNND1. Accordingly, functional assays confirmed that the isolated exosomes from AR-ligand treated cells promote growth of untreated PCa cells. CONCLUSION The data suggest that the cargo of exosomes is controlled by AR-agonist and -antagonists and distinct among the AR-antagonists. Further, exosomes promote growth that might influence the TME. This finding sheds light into the complex interplay between AR signaling and exosome-mediated communication between PCa cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Golnaz Atri Roozbahani
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07740, Jena, Germany
| | - Miriam Kokal-Ribaudo
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07740, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Thanakorn Pungsrinont
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07740, Jena, Germany
| | - Aria Baniahmad
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07740, Jena, Germany.
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Nyquist MD, Coleman IM, Lucas JM, Li D, Hanratty B, Meade H, Mostaghel EA, Plymate SR, Corey E, Haffner MC, Nelson PS. Supraphysiological Androgens Promote the Tumor Suppressive Activity of the Androgen Receptor through cMYC Repression and Recruitment of the DREAM Complex. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2938-2951. [PMID: 37352376 PMCID: PMC10472100 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) pathway regulates key cell survival programs in prostate epithelium. The AR represents a near-universal driver and therapeutic vulnerability in metastatic prostate cancer, and targeting AR has a remarkable therapeutic index. Though most approaches directed toward AR focus on inhibiting AR signaling, laboratory and now clinical data have shown that high dose, supraphysiological androgen treatment (SPA) results in growth repression and improved outcomes in subsets of patients with prostate cancer. A better understanding of the mechanisms contributing to SPA response and resistance could help guide patient selection and combination therapies to improve efficacy. To characterize SPA signaling, we integrated metrics of gene expression changes induced by SPA together with cistrome data and protein-interactomes. These analyses indicated that the dimerization partner, RB-like, E2F, and multivulval class B (DREAM) complex mediates growth repression and downregulation of E2F targets in response to SPA. Notably, prostate cancers with complete genomic loss of RB1 responded to SPA treatment, whereas loss of DREAM complex components such as RBL1/2 promoted resistance. Overexpression of MYC resulted in complete resistance to SPA and attenuated the SPA/AR-mediated repression of E2F target genes. These findings support a model of SPA-mediated growth repression that relies on the negative regulation of MYC by AR leading to repression of E2F1 signaling via the DREAM complex. The integrity of MYC signaling and DREAM complex assembly may consequently serve as determinants of SPA responses and as pathways mediating SPA resistance. SIGNIFICANCE Determining the molecular pathways by which supraphysiological androgens promote growth arrest and treatment responses in prostate cancer provides opportunities for biomarker-selected clinical trials and the development of strategies to augment responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Nyquist
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ilsa M. Coleman
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jared M. Lucas
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Dapei Li
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Brian Hanratty
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Hannah Meade
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Elahe A. Mostaghel
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Stephen R. Plymate
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael C. Haffner
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Peter S. Nelson
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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3
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Spisak S, Tisza V, Nuzzo PV, Seo JH, Pataki B, Ribli D, Sztupinszki Z, Bell C, Rohanizadegan M, Stillman DR, Alaiwi SA, Bartels AH, Papp M, Shetty A, Abbasi F, Lin X, Lawrenson K, Gayther SA, Pomerantz M, Baca S, Solymosi N, Csabai I, Szallasi Z, Gusev A, Freedman ML. A biallelic multiple nucleotide length polymorphism explains functional causality at 5p15.33 prostate cancer risk locus. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5118. [PMID: 37612286 PMCID: PMC10447552 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40616-z] [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: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been the most intensively investigated class of polymorphisms in genome wide associations studies (GWAS), however, other classes such as insertion-deletion or multiple nucleotide length polymorphism (MNLPs) may also confer disease risk. Multiple reports have shown that the 5p15.33 prostate cancer risk region is a particularly strong expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) for Iroquois Homeobox 4 (IRX4) transcripts. Here, we demonstrate using epigenome and genome editing that a biallelic (21 and 47 base pairs (bp)) MNLP is the causal variant regulating IRX4 transcript levels. In LNCaP prostate cancer cells (homozygous for the 21 bp short allele), a single copy knock-in of the 47 bp long allele potently alters the chromatin state, enabling de novo functional binding of the androgen receptor (AR) associated with increased chromatin accessibility, Histone 3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac), and ~3-fold upregulation of IRX4 expression. We further show that an MNLP is amongst the strongest candidate susceptibility variants at two additional prostate cancer risk loci. We estimated that at least 5% of prostate cancer risk loci could be explained by functional non-SNP causal variants, which may have broader implications for other cancers GWAS. More generally, our results underscore the importance of investigating other classes of inherited variation as causal mediators of human traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandor Spisak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Viktoria Tisza
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Pier Vitale Nuzzo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Lgo R. Benzi 10, 16132, Italy
| | - Ji-Heui Seo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Balint Pataki
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Dezso Ribli
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Zsofia Sztupinszki
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Connor Bell
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mersedeh Rohanizadegan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - David R Stillman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sarah Abou Alaiwi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Alan H Bartels
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Marton Papp
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Centre for Bioinformatics, University of Veterinary Medicine, Istvan str. 2, Budapest, 1078, Hungary
| | - Anamay Shetty
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Division of Genetics, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Forough Abbasi
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Xianzhi Lin
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Kate Lawrenson
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Department of Biomedical Science, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Simon A Gayther
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Department of Biomedical Science, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Mark Pomerantz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sylvan Baca
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Norbert Solymosi
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Istvan Csabai
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, Forensic and Insurance Medicine Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, 1112, Hungary
| | - Alexander Gusev
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Division of Genetics, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Matthew L Freedman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
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Nabavi N, Mahdavi SR, Ardalan MA, Chamanara M, Mosaed R, Lara A, Bastos D, Harsini S, Askari E, Velho PI, Bagheri H. Bipolar Androgen Therapy: When Excess Fuel Extinguishes the Fire. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2084. [PMID: 37509723 PMCID: PMC10377678 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11072084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains the cornerstone of advanced prostate cancer treatment. However, the progression towards castration-resistant prostate cancer is inevitable, as the cancer cells reactivate androgen receptor signaling and adapt to the castrate state through autoregulation of the androgen receptor. Additionally, the upfront use of novel hormonal agents such as enzalutamide and abiraterone acetate may result in long-term toxicities and may trigger the selection of AR-independent cells through "Darwinian" treatment-induced pressure. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new strategies to overcome these challenges. Bipolar androgen therapy (BAT) is one such approach that has been devised based on studies demonstrating the paradoxical inhibitory effects of supraphysiologic testosterone on prostate cancer growth, achieved through a variety of mechanisms acting in concert. BAT involves rapidly alternating testosterone levels between supraphysiological and near-castrate levels over a period of a month, achieved through monthly intramuscular injections of testosterone plus concurrent ADT. BAT is effective and well-tolerated, improving quality of life and potentially re-sensitizing patients to previous hormonal therapies after progression. By exploring the mechanisms and clinical evidence for BAT, this review seeks to shed light on its potential as a promising new approach to prostate cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Nabavi
- Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 13944-91388, Iran
- Radiation Sciences Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14117-18541, Iran
| | - Seied Rabi Mahdavi
- Department of Medical Physics, Radiation Biology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14117-18541, Iran
| | - Mohammad Afshar Ardalan
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14117-18541, Iran
| | - Mohsen Chamanara
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14117-18541, Iran
| | - Reza Mosaed
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14117-18541, Iran
| | - Aline Lara
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo 01308-050, Brazil
- Hospital do Câncer UOPECCAN, Cascavel 85806-300, Brazil
| | - Diogo Bastos
- Oncology Department, Hospital Sirio-Libanês, São Paulo 01308-050, Brazil
| | - Sara Harsini
- BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Emran Askari
- Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 13944-91388, Iran
| | - Pedro Isaacsson Velho
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
- Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre 90035-000, Brazil
| | - Hamed Bagheri
- Radiation Sciences Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14117-18541, Iran
- School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14118-13389, Iran
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5
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Jinna ND, Van Alsten S, Rida P, Seewaldt VL, Troester MA. Molecular features of androgen-receptor low, estrogen receptor-negative breast cancers in the Carolina breast cancer study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023:10.1007/s10549-023-07014-x. [PMID: 37438515 PMCID: PMC10361868 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07014-x] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Androgen receptor (AR) expression is absent in 40-90% of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers. The prognostic value of AR in ER-negative patients and therapeutic targets for patients absent in AR remains poorly explored. METHODS We used an RNA-based multigene classifier to identify AR-low and AR-high ER-negative participants in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS; N = 669) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; N = 237). We compared AR-defined subgroups by demographics, tumor characteristics, and established molecular signatures [PAM50 risk of recurrence (ROR), homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), and immune response]. RESULTS AR-low tumors were more prevalent among younger (RFD = + 10%, 95% CI = 4% to 16%) participants in CBCS and were associated with HER2 negativity (RFD = - 35%, 95% CI = - 44% to - 26%), higher grade (RFD = + 17%, 95% CI = 8% to 26%), and higher risk of recurrence scores (RFD = + 22%, 95% CI = 16.1% to 28%), with similar results in TCGA. The AR-low subgroup was strongly associated with HRD in CBCS (RFD = + 33.3%, 95% CI = 23.8% to 43.2%) and TCGA (RFD = + 41.5%, 95% CI = 34.0% to 48.6%). In CBCS, AR-low tumors had high adaptive immune marker expression. CONCLUSION Multigene, RNA-based low AR expression is associated with aggressive disease characteristics as well as DNA repair defects and immune phenotypes, suggesting plausible precision therapies for AR-low, ER-negative patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita D Jinna
- Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
| | - Sarah Van Alsten
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Padmashree Rida
- Department of Science, Rowland Hall, Salt Lake City, UT, 84102, USA
| | - Victoria L Seewaldt
- Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Melissa A Troester
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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Phua TJ. Understanding human aging and the fundamental cell signaling link in age-related diseases: the middle-aging hypovascularity hypoxia hypothesis. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2023; 4:1196648. [PMID: 37384143 PMCID: PMC10293850 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2023.1196648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Aging-related hypoxia, oxidative stress, and inflammation pathophysiology are closely associated with human age-related carcinogenesis and chronic diseases. However, the connection between hypoxia and hormonal cell signaling pathways is unclear, but such human age-related comorbid diseases do coincide with the middle-aging period of declining sex hormonal signaling. This scoping review evaluates the relevant interdisciplinary evidence to assess the systems biology of function, regulation, and homeostasis in order to discern and decipher the etiology of the connection between hypoxia and hormonal signaling in human age-related comorbid diseases. The hypothesis charts the accumulating evidence to support the development of a hypoxic milieu and oxidative stress-inflammation pathophysiology in middle-aged individuals, as well as the induction of amyloidosis, autophagy, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in aging-related degeneration. Taken together, this new approach and strategy can provide the clarity of concepts and patterns to determine the causes of declining vascularity hemodynamics (blood flow) and physiological oxygenation perfusion (oxygen bioavailability) in relation to oxygen homeostasis and vascularity that cause hypoxia (hypovascularity hypoxia). The middle-aging hypovascularity hypoxia hypothesis could provide the mechanistic interface connecting the endocrine, nitric oxide, and oxygen homeostasis signaling that is closely linked to the progressive conditions of degenerative hypertrophy, atrophy, fibrosis, and neoplasm. An in-depth understanding of these intrinsic biological processes of the developing middle-aged hypoxia could provide potential new strategies for time-dependent therapies in maintaining healthspan for healthy lifestyle aging, medical cost savings, and health system sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teow J. Phua
- Molecular Medicine, NSW Health Pathology, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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7
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Karthikeyan SK, Nuo X, Ferguson JE, Rais-Bahrami S, Qin ZS, Manne U, Netto GJ, Chandrashekar DS, Varambally S. Identification of androgen response-related lncRNAs in prostate cancer. Prostate 2023; 83:590-601. [PMID: 36760203 PMCID: PMC10038919 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24494] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA molecules with over 200 nucleotides that do not code for proteins, but are known to be widely expressed and have key roles in gene regulation and cellular functions. They are also found to be involved in the onset and development of various cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). Since PCa are commonly driven by androgen regulated signaling, mainly stimulated pathways, identification and determining the influence of lncRNAs in androgen response is useful and necessary. LncRNAs regulated by the androgen receptor (AR) can serve as potential biomarkers for PCa. In the present study, gene expression data analysis were performed to distinguish lncRNAs related to the androgen response pathway. METHODS AND RESULTS We used publicly available RNA-sequencing and ChIP-seq data to identify lncRNAs that are associated with the androgen response pathway. Using Universal Correlation Coefficient (UCC) and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) analyses, we found 15 lncRNAs that have (a) highly correlated expression with androgen response genes in PCa and are (b) differentially expressed in the setting of treatment with an androgen agonist as well as antagonist compared to controls. Using publicly available ChIP-seq data, we investigated the role of androgen/AR axis in regulating expression of these lncRNAs. We observed AR binding in the promoter regions of 5 lncRNAs (MIR99AHG, DUBR, DRAIC, PVT1, and COLCA1), showing the direct influence of AR on their expression and highlighting their association with the androgen response pathway. CONCLUSION By utilizing publicly available multiomics data and by employing in silico methods, we identified five candidate lncRNAs that are involved in the androgen response pathway. These lncRNAs should be investigated as potential biomarkers for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xu Nuo
- Collat School of Business, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - James E. Ferguson
- Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Soroush Rais-Bahrami
- Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Zhaohui S. Qin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Upender Manne
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - George J. Netto
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Sooryanarayana Varambally
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Informatics Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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8
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Sena LA, Kumar R, Sanin DE, Thompson EA, Rosen DM, Dalrymple SL, Antony L, Yang Y, Gomes-Alexandre C, Hicks JL, Jones T, Bowers KA, Eskra JN, Meyers J, Gupta A, Skaist A, Yegnasubramanian S, Luo J, Brennen WN, Kachhap SK, Antonarakis ES, De Marzo AM, Isaacs JT, Markowski MC, Denmeade SR. Androgen receptor activity in prostate cancer dictates efficacy of bipolar androgen therapy through MYC. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:e162396. [PMID: 36194476 PMCID: PMC9711876 DOI: 10.1172/jci162396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone is the canonical growth factor of prostate cancer but can paradoxically suppress its growth when present at supraphysiological levels. We have previously demonstrated that the cyclical administration of supraphysiological androgen (SPA), termed bipolar androgen therapy (BAT), can result in tumor regression and clinical benefit for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, predictors and mechanisms of response and resistance have been ill defined. Here, we show that growth inhibition of prostate cancer models by SPA required high androgen receptor (AR) activity and were driven in part by downregulation of MYC. Using matched sequential patient biopsies, we show that high pretreatment AR activity predicted downregulation of MYC, improved clinical response, and prolonged progression-free and overall survival for patients on BAT. BAT induced strong downregulation of AR in all patients, which is shown to be a primary mechanism of acquired resistance to SPA. Acquired resistance was overcome by alternating SPA with the AR inhibitor enzalutamide, which induced adaptive upregulation of AR and resensitized prostate cancer to SPA. This work identifies high AR activity as a predictive biomarker of response to BAT and supports a treatment paradigm for prostate cancer involving alternating between AR inhibition and activation.
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Acharya S, Anand S, Khan MA, Zubair H, Srivastava SK, Singh S, Singh AP. Biphasic transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of MYB by androgen signaling mediates its growth control in prostate cancer. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102725. [PMID: 36410437 PMCID: PMC9791434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
MYB, a proto-oncogene, is overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and promotes its growth, aggressiveness, and resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy. Here, we examined the effect of androgen signaling on MYB expression and delineated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Paralleling a dichotomous effect on growth, low-dose androgen induced MYB expression at both transcript and protein levels, whereas it was suppressed in high-dose androgen-treated PCa cells. Interestingly, treatment with both low- and high-dose androgen transcriptionally upregulated MYB by increasing the binding of androgen receptor to the MYB promoter. In a time-course assay, androgen induced MYB expression at early time points followed by a sharp decline in high-dose androgen-treated cells due to decreased stability of MYB mRNA. Additionally, profiling of MYB-targeted miRNAs demonstrated significant induction of miR-150 in high-dose androgen-treated PCa cells. We observed a differential binding of androgen receptor on miR-150 promoter with significantly greater occupancy recorded in high-dose androgen-treated cells than those treated with low-dose androgen. Functional inhibition of miR-150 relieved MYB suppression by high-dose androgen, while miR-150 mimic abolished MYB induction by low-dose androgen. Furthermore, MYB-silencing or miR-150 mimic transfection suppressed PCa cell growth induced by low-dose androgen, whereas miR-150 inhibition rescued PCa cells from growth repression by high-dose androgen. Similarly, we observed that MYB silencing suppressed the expression of androgen-responsive, cell cycle-related genes in low-dose androgen-treated cells, while miR-150 inhibition increased their expression in cells treated with high-dose androgen. Overall, these findings reveal novel androgen-mediated mechanisms of MYB regulation that support its biphasic growth control in PCa cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srijan Acharya
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Shashi Anand
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Mohammad Aslam Khan
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Haseeb Zubair
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Seema Singh
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Ajay Pratap Singh
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA.
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10
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Alizadeh-Ghodsi M, Owen KL, Townley SL, Zanker D, Rollin SP, Hanson AR, Shrestha R, Toubia J, Gargett T, Chernukhin I, Luu J, Cowley KJ, Clark A, Carroll JS, Simpson KJ, Winter JM, Lawrence MG, Butler LM, Risbridger GP, Thierry B, Taylor RA, Hickey TE, Parker BS, Tilley WD, Selth LA. Potent Stimulation of the Androgen Receptor Instigates a Viral Mimicry Response in Prostate Cancer. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:706-724. [PMID: 36923279 PMCID: PMC10010308 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-21-0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inhibiting the androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, with androgen deprivation therapy is a standard-of-care treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. Paradoxically, activation of AR can also inhibit the growth of prostate cancer in some patients and experimental systems, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. This study exploited a potent synthetic androgen, methyltestosterone (MeT), to investigate AR agonist-induced growth inhibition. MeT strongly inhibited growth of prostate cancer cells expressing AR, but not AR-negative models. Genes and pathways regulated by MeT were highly analogous to those regulated by DHT, although MeT induced a quantitatively greater androgenic response in prostate cancer cells. MeT potently downregulated DNA methyltransferases, leading to global DNA hypomethylation. These epigenomic changes were associated with dysregulation of transposable element expression, including upregulation of endogenous retrovirus (ERV) transcripts after sustained MeT treatment. Increased ERV expression led to accumulation of double-stranded RNA and a "viral mimicry" response characterized by activation of IFN signaling, upregulation of MHC class I molecules, and enhanced recognition of murine prostate cancer cells by CD8+ T cells. Positive associations between AR activity and ERVs/antiviral pathways were evident in patient transcriptomic data, supporting the clinical relevance of our findings. Collectively, our study reveals that the potent androgen MeT can increase the immunogenicity of prostate cancer cells via a viral mimicry response, a finding that has potential implications for the development of strategies to sensitize this cancer type to immunotherapies. Significance Our study demonstrates that potent androgen stimulation of prostate cancer cells can elicit a viral mimicry response, resulting in enhanced IFN signaling. This finding may have implications for the development of strategies to sensitize prostate cancer to immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Alizadeh-Ghodsi
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Katie L. Owen
- Cancer Evolution and Metastasis Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Scott L. Townley
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Damien Zanker
- Cancer Evolution and Metastasis Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samuel P.G. Rollin
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Adrienne R. Hanson
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Raj Shrestha
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - John Toubia
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- ACRF Cancer Genomics Facility, Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Tessa Gargett
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Igor Chernukhin
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jennii Luu
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karla J. Cowley
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ashlee Clark
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jason S. Carroll
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kaylene J. Simpson
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jean M. Winter
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Mitchell G. Lawrence
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 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
| | - Gail P. Risbridger
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Benjamin Thierry
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio and Nano Science and Technology, University of South Australia, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
| | - Renea A. Taylor
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Theresa E. Hickey
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Belinda S. Parker
- Cancer Evolution and Metastasis Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wayne D. Tilley
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Luke A. Selth
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
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11
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Qiu X, Brown LG, Conner JL, Nguyen HM, Boufaied N, Abou Alaiwi S, Seo JH, El Zarif T, Bell C, O’Connor E, Hanratty B, Pomerantz M, Freedman ML, Brown M, Haffner MC, Nelson PS, Feng FY, Labbé DP, Long HW, Corey E. Response to supraphysiological testosterone is predicted by a distinct androgen receptor cistrome. JCI Insight 2022; 7:157164. [PMID: 35603787 PMCID: PMC9220831 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is a master transcription factor that regulates prostate cancer (PC) development and progression. Inhibition of AR signaling by androgen deprivation is the first-line therapy with initial efficacy for advanced and recurrent PC. Paradoxically, supraphysiological levels of testosterone (SPT) also inhibit PC progression. However, as with any therapy, not all patients show a therapeutic benefit, and responses differ widely in magnitude and duration. In this study, we evaluated whether differences in the AR cistrome before treatment can distinguish between SPT-responding (R) and -nonresponding (NR) tumors. We provide the first preclinical evidence to our knowledge that SPT-R tumors exhibit a distinct AR cistrome when compared with SPT-NR tumors, indicating a differential biological role of the AR. We applied an integrated analysis of ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq to the pretreatment tumors and identified an SPT-R signature that distinguishes R and NR tumors. Because transcriptomes of SPT-treated clinical specimens are not available, we interrogated available castration-resistant PC (CRPC) transcriptomes and showed that the SPT-R signature is associated with improved survival and has the potential to identify patients who would respond to SPT. These findings provide an opportunity to identify the subset of patients with CRPC who would benefit from SPT therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Qiu
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisha G. Brown
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Conner
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Holly M. Nguyen
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nadia Boufaied
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sarah Abou Alaiwi
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ji-Heui Seo
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Talal El Zarif
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Connor Bell
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Edward O’Connor
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian Hanratty
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mark Pomerantz
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew L. Freedman
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Myles Brown
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael C. Haffner
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Peter S. Nelson
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Felix Y. Feng
- University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David P. Labbé
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Henry W. Long
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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12
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The Androgen Hormone-Induced Increase in Androgen Receptor Protein Expression Is Caused by the Autoinduction of the Androgen Receptor Translational Activity. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:597-608. [PMID: 35723327 PMCID: PMC8928990 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44020041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) plays a central role in prostate, muscle, bone and adipose tissue. Moreover, dysregulated AR activity is a driving force in prostate cancer (PCa) initiation and progression. Consequently, antagonizing AR signalling cascades via antiandrogenic therapy is a crucial treatment option in PCa management. Besides, very high androgen levels also inhibit PCa cells’ growth, so this effect could also be applied in PCa therapy. However, on the molecular and cellular level, these mechanisms have hardly been investigated so far. Therefore, the present study describes the effects of varying androgen concentrations on the viability of PCa cells as well as localization, transactivation, and protein stability of the AR. For this purpose, cell viability was determined via WST1 assay. Alterations in AR transactivity were detected by qPCR analysis of AR target genes. A fluorescent AR fusion protein was used to analyse AR localization microscopically. Changes in AR protein expression were detected by Western blot. Our results showed that high androgen concentrations reduce the cell viability in LNCaP and C4-2 cell lines. In addition, androgens have been reported to increase AR transactivity, AR localization, and AR protein expression levels. However, high androgen levels did not reduce these parameters. Furthermore, this study revealed an androgen-induced increase in AR protein synthesis. In conclusion, inhibitory effects on cell viability by high androgen levels are due to AR downstream signalling or non-genomic AR activity. Moreover, hormonal activation of the AR leads to a self-induced stabilization of the receptor, resulting in increased AR activity. Therefore, in clinical use, a therapeutic reduction in androgen levels represents a clinical target and would lead to a decrease in AR activity and, thus, AR-driven PCa progression.
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13
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McSweeney S, Bergom HE, Prizment A, Halabi S, Sharifi N, Ryan C, Hwang J. Regulatory genes in the androgen production, uptake and conversion (APUC) pathway in advanced prostate cancer. ENDOCRINE ONCOLOGY (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2022; 2:R51-R64. [PMID: 37435458 PMCID: PMC10259352 DOI: 10.1530/eo-22-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway regulates the progression of prostate cancer (PC). Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients generally receive AR-targeted therapies (ART) or androgen-deprivation therapies (ADT) with the initial response; however, resistance is inevitably observed. Prior studies have shown activity and upregulation of a family of androgen production, uptake, and conversion - APUC genes - based on genomic analyses of patient germlines. Genetic variants of some APUC genes, such as the conversion gene, HSD3B1, predict response to second-generation androgen-targeted therapies. Studies have begun to elucidate the overall role of APUC genes, each with unique actionable enzymatic activity, in mCRPC patient outcomes. The current role and knowledge of the genetic and genomic features of APUC genes in advanced prostate cancer and beyond are discussed in this review. These studies inform of how interpreting behavior of APUC genes through genomic tools will impact the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean McSweeney
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hannah E Bergom
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anna Prizment
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Susan Halabi
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nima Sharifi
- Genitourinary Malignancies Research Center, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Charles Ryan
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Prostate Cancer Foundation, Santa Monica, California, USA
| | - Justin Hwang
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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14
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Tang DG. Understanding and targeting prostate cancer cell heterogeneity and plasticity. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 82:68-93. [PMID: 34844845 PMCID: PMC9106849 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent malignancy that occurs primarily in old males. Prostate tumors in different patients manifest significant inter-patient heterogeneity with respect to histo-morphological presentations and molecular architecture. An individual patient tumor also harbors genetically distinct clones in which PCa cells display intra-tumor heterogeneity in molecular features and phenotypic marker expression. This inherent PCa cell heterogeneity, e.g., in the expression of androgen receptor (AR), constitutes a barrier to the long-term therapeutic efficacy of AR-targeting therapies. Furthermore, tumor progression as well as therapeutic treatments induce PCa cell plasticity such that AR-positive PCa cells may turn into AR-negative cells and prostate tumors may switch lineage identity from adenocarcinomas to neuroendocrine-like tumors. This induced PCa cell plasticity similarly confers resistance to AR-targeting and other therapies. In this review, I first discuss PCa from the perspective of an abnormal organ development and deregulated cellular differentiation, and discuss the luminal progenitor cells as the likely cells of origin for PCa. I then focus on intrinsic PCa cell heterogeneity in treatment-naïve tumors with the presence of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs). I further elaborate on PCa cell plasticity induced by genetic alterations and therapeutic interventions, and present potential strategies to therapeutically tackle PCa cell heterogeneity and plasticity. My discussions will make it clear that, to achieve enduring clinical efficacy, both intrinsic PCa cell heterogeneity and induced PCa cell plasticity need to be targeted with novel combinatorial approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean G Tang
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; Experimental Therapeutics (ET) Graduate Program, The University at Buffalo & Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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15
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Porter LH, Bakshi A, Pook D, Clark A, Clouston D, Kourambas J, Goode DL, Risbridger GP, Taylor RA, Lawrence MG. Androgen receptor enhancer amplification in matched patient-derived xenografts of primary and castrate-resistant prostate cancer. J Pathol 2021; 254:121-134. [PMID: 33620092 DOI: 10.1002/path.5652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Amplifications of the androgen receptor (AR) occur in up to 80% of men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Recent studies highlighted that these amplifications not only span the AR gene but usually encompass a distal enhancer. This represents a newly recognised, non-coding mechanism of resistance to AR-directed therapies, including enzalutamide. To study disease progression before and after AR amplification, we used tumour samples from a castrate-sensitive primary tumour and castrate-resistant metastasis of the same patient. For subsequent functional and genomic studies, we established serially transplantable patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Whole genome sequencing showed that alterations associated with poor prognosis, such as TP53 and PTEN loss, existed before androgen deprivation therapy, followed by co-amplification of the AR gene and enhancer after the development of metastatic CRPC. The PDX of the primary tumour, without the AR amplification, was sensitive to AR-directed treatments, including castration, enzalutamide, and apalutamide. The PDX of the metastasis, with the AR amplification, had higher AR and AR-V7 expression in castrate conditions, and was resistant to castration, apalutamide, and enzalutamide in vivo. Treatment with a BET inhibitor outperformed the AR-directed therapies for the metastasis, resulting in tumour regression for some, but not all, grafts. Therefore, this study provides novel matched PDXs to test potential treatments that target the overabundance of AR in tumours with AR enhancer amplifications. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura H Porter
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Bakshi
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Computational Cancer Biology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David Pook
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Medical Oncology, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ashlee Clark
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | | | - John Kourambas
- Department of Medicine, Monash Health, Casey Hospital, Berwick, VIC, Australia
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- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Urological Research Alliance (MURAL), Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - David L Goode
- Computational Cancer Biology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Gail P Risbridger
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Renea A Taylor
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Mitchell G Lawrence
- Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Prostate Cancer Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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