Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth Research Articles

Hsa-miRNA-765 as a key mediator for inhibiting growth, migration and invasion in fulvestrant-treated prostate cancer.

Fulvestrant (ICI-182,780) has recently been shown to effectively suppress prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. But it is unclear whether microRNAs play a role in regulating oncogene expression in fulvestrant-treated prostate cancer. Here, this study reports hsa-miR-765 as the first fulvestrant-driven, ERβ-regulated miRNA exhibiting significant tumor suppressor activities like fulvestrant, against prostate cancer cell growth via blockage of cell-cycle progression at the G2/M transition, and cell migration and invasion possibly via reduction of filopodia/intense stress-fiber formation. Fulvestrant was shown to upregulate hsa-miR-765 expression through recruitment of ERβ to the 5′-regulatory-region of hsa-miR-765. HMGA1, an oncogenic protein in prostate cancer, was identified as a downstream target of hsa-miR-765 and fulvestrant in cell-based experiments and a clinical study. Both the antiestrogen and the hsa-miR-765 mimic suppressed HMGA1 protein expression. In a neo-adjuvant study, levels of hsa-miR-765 were increased and HMGA1 expression was almost completely lost in prostate cancer specimens from patients treated with a single dose (250 mg) of fulvestrant 28 days before prostatectomy. These findings reveal a novel fulvestrant signaling cascade involving ERβ-mediated transcriptional upregulation of hsa-miR-765 that suppresses HMGA1 protein expression as part of the mechanism underlying the tumor suppressor action of fulvestrant in prostate cancer.

Overexpression of MYC and EZH2 cooperates to epigenetically silence MST1 expression

Hippo-like MST1 protein kinase regulates cell growth, organ size, and carcinogenesis. Reduction or loss of MST1 expression is implicated in poor cancer prognosis. However, the mechanism leading to MST1 silencing remains elusive. Here, we report that both MYC and EZH2 function as potent suppressors of MST1 expression in human prostate cancer cells. We demonstrated that concurrent overexpression of MYC and EZH2 correlated with the reduction or loss of MST1 expression, as shown by RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. Methylation sensitive PCR and bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing showed that DNA methylation caused MST1 silencing. Pharmacologic and RNAi experiments revealed that MYC and EZH2 silenced MST1 expression by inhibiting its promoter activity, and that EZH2 was a mediator of the MYC-induced silencing of MST1. In addition, MYC contributed to MST1 silencing by partly inhibiting the expression of microRNA-26a/b, a negative regulator of EZH2. As shown by ChIP assays, EZH2-induced DNA methylation and H3K27me3 modification, which was accompanied by a reduced H3K4me3 mark and RNA polymerase II occupancy on the MST1 promoter CpG region, were the underlying cause of MST1 silencing. Moreover, potent pharmacologic inhibitors of MYC or EZH2 suppressed prostate cancer cell growth in vitro, and the knockdown of MST1 caused cells’ resistance to MYC and EZH2 inhibitor-induced growth retardation. These findings indicate that MYC, in concert with EZH2, epigenetically attenuates MST1 expression and suggest that the loss of MST1/Hippo functions is critical for the MYC or EZH2 mediation of cancer cell survival.

Triptolide Inhibits Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 and Modulates the Expression of Its Target Genes in Prostate Cancer Cells

The histone methyltransferase EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) plays critical roles in prostate cancer (PCa) development and is a potential target for PCa treatment. Triptolide possesses anti-tumor activity, but it is unknown whether its therapeutic effect relates with EZH2 in PCa. Here we described EZH2 as a target for Triptolide in PCa cells. Our data showed that Triptolide suppressed PCa cell growth and reduced the expression of EZH2. Overexpression of EZH2 attenuated the Triptolide induced cell growth inhibition. Moreover, Triptolide treatment of PC-3 cells resulted in elevated mRNA levels of target genes (ADRB2, CDH1, CDKN2A and DAB2IP) negatively regulated by EZH2 as well as reduced mRNA levelsan of EZH2 positively regulated gene (cyclin D1). Our findings suggest the PCa cell growth inhibition mediated by Triptolide might be associated with downregulation of EZH2 expression and the subsequent modulation of target genes.

Differential Androgen Deprivation Therapies with Anti-androgens Casodex/Bicalutamide or MDV3100/Enzalutamide versus Anti-androgen Receptor ASC-J9® Lead to Promotion versus Suppression of Prostate Cancer Metastasis

Despite the fact that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) can effectively reduce prostate cancer (PCa) size, its effect on PCa metastasis remains unclear. We examined the existing data on PCa patients treated with ADT plus anti-androgens to analyze ADT effects on primary tumor size, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values, and metastatic incidence. We found that the current ADT with anti-androgens might lead to primary tumor reduction, with PSA decreased yet metastases increased in some PCa patients. Using in vitro and in vivo metastasis models with four human PCa cell lines, we evaluated the effects of the currently used anti-androgens, Casodex/bicalutamide and MDV3100/enzalutamide, and the newly developed anti-AR compounds, ASC-J9® and cryptotanshinone, on PCa cell growth and invasion. In vitro results showed that 10 μm Casodex or MDV3100 treatments suppressed PCa cell growth and reduced PSA level yet significantly enhanced PCa cell invasion. In vivo mice studies using an orthotopic xenograft mouse model also confirmed these results. In contrast, ASC-J9® led to suppressed PCa cell growth and cell invasion in in vitro and in vivo models. Mechanism dissection indicated these Casodex/MDV3100 treatments enhanced the TGF-β1/Smad3/MMP9 pathway, but ASC-J9® and cryptotanshinone showed promising anti-invasion effects via down-regulation of MMP9 expression. These findings suggest the potential risks of using anti-androgens and provide a potential new therapy using ASC-J9® to battle PCa metastasis at the castration-resistant stage.

ITorin1—An Active Site Inhibitor of mTOR, Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth Induced by Activated α2M-Macroglobulin Ligation of Cell Surface GRP78

In this study, we reported the effect of the ATP binding site competitive inhibitor Torin1 on activated α2-macroglobulin (α2M*)-induced cell proliferation and activation of mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling in prostate cancer cells. Torin1 significantly inhibited α2M*-induced cellproliferation as measured by protein and DNA synthesis. Translational activity, a major cellular response in malignant cells,is coordinately regulated by the mTORC1-S6-kinaseand mTORC1-4EBP1 axes. Torin1 significantly inhibited α2M*- and insulin-induced activation of mTORC1 as determined by phosphorylation of S6-kinaseat Thr389 and 4EBP1 at Thr37/46 compared to untreated cells employing Raptor immunoprecipitates. Torin1 also significantly inhibited α2M*- and insulin-induced upregulation of p-AktT308 and p-AktS473 in prostate cancer cells. The effect was comparable to that of insulin employed as a positive control. Finally, Torin1 inhibited α2M*- and insulin-induced activation of mTORC2 kinase assayas measured by phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 inRictor immunoprecipitates of prostate cancer cells.

Identification and Characterization of MEL-3, a Novel AR Antagonist That Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth

Antiandrogens are an important component of prostate cancer therapy as the androgen receptor (AR) is the key regulator of prostate cancer growth and survival. Current AR antagonists, such as bicalutamide and hydroxyflutamide, have a low affinity for the AR and as a result block AR signaling insufficiently. Moreover, many patients develop a resistance for bicalutamide or hydroxyflutamide during therapy or show a clinical improvement after withdrawal of the antiandrogen. New and more effective AR antagonists are needed to ensure follow-up of these patients. We therefore developed a screening system to identify novel AR antagonists from a collection of compounds. MEL-3 [8-(propan-2-yl)-5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrazino[3,2,1-jk]carbazole] was selected as potent inhibitor of the AR and was further characterized in vitro. On different prostate cancer cell lines MEL-3 displayed an improved therapeutic profile compared with bicalutamide. Not only cell growth was inhibited but also the expression of androgen-regulated genes: PSA and FKBP5. Prostate cancer is often associated with mutated ARs that respond to a broadened spectrum of ligands including the current antiandrogens used in the clinic, hydroxyflutamide and bicalutamide. The activity of two mutant receptors (AR T877A and AR W741C) was shown to be reduced in presence of MEL-3, providing evidence that MEL-3 can potentially be a follow-up treatment for bicalutamide- and hydroxyflutamide-resistant patients. The mechanism of action of MEL-3 on the molecular level was further explored by comparing the structure-activity relationship of different chemical derivatives of MEL-3 with the in silico docking of MEL-3 derivatives in the binding pocket of the AR.

Cyclosporin A suppresses prostate cancer cell growth through CaMKKβ/AMPK-mediated inhibition of mTORC1 signaling

Cyclosporin A (CsA) has antitumor effects on various cancers including prostate cancer. However, its antitumor mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we showed that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mediates the antitumor effect of CsA on prostate cancer cells. CsA attenuated cell growth by inducing a G1 arrest through the inhibition of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. In this context, Akt was paradoxically activated downstream of the EGF receptor (EGFR)-mediated increase in phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) production. However, CsA also caused a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-dependent activation of AMPK, which inhibits mTORC1 signaling; this led to ineffective Akt signaling. An EGFR or Akt inhibitor increased the growth suppressive activity of CsA, whereas the combination of an AMPK inhibitor and CsA markedly rescued cells from the G1 arrest and increased cell growth. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of CsA on cancer signaling pathways.

Abstract 2574: Mangosteen fruit extract promotes endoplasmic reticulum stress through upregulation of CHOP/GADD153 in prostate cancer cells

Abstract Background: The mangosteen fruit (Garcinia mangostana) is native to Southeast Asia and has been reported to contain a variety of health promoting properties that include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-diabetic activities. The principle constituents isolated from the mangosteen fruit are the xanthones with over 50 unique entities isolated to date. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer-related death in adult males and is ideal for evaluating promising cancer preventive agents because it develops at old age and is usually asymptomatic until advanced. This suggests that even a slight delay in the diagnosis of prostate cancer could have a profound public health impact. In our current study, we investigated the anticancer effects of a highly characterized mangosteen fruit extract on PCa cell lines to understand the mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Next, we evaluated the anticancer activity of mangosteen fruit extract in an athymic nude mouse model. Methods: Two human prostate cancer cell lines, 22Rv1 and LNCaP, were treated with a standardized mangosteen fruit extract. Flow cytometry, MTT, BrdU, and siRNA were used to evaluate cell apoptosis, cell viability and cell proliferation. Whole cell lysates were used to detect protein expression changes of androgen receptor (AR), pro-apoptotic protein Bax and other proteins involved in cell cycle or ER stress following treatment with mangosteen fruit extract. Next, we evaluated mangosteen fruit extract for anti-cancer activity in Athymic (nu/nu) nude mice inoculated with 22Rv1 cells. These mice received either mangosteen fruit extract or vehicle. In addition, a pharmacokinetics assay of mangosteen fruit extract, complete blood count (CBC), and serum biochemistry were performed on wild type C57BL6 mice for possible toxicity. Results: Our results demonstrate that mangosteen fruit extract effectively induced apoptosis, decreased cell viability and inhibited cell proliferation in multiple prostate cancer cell lines. Mangosteen fruit extract treatment induced a dose-dependent AR down-regulation and Bax up-regulation, induced G1 cell cycle arrest, and significantly increased the expression of ER stress proteins, such as PERK, CHOP and IRE1 in PCa cells. In addition, mangosteen fruit extract treatment significantly suppressed tumor growth in a xenograft tumor model and did not alter body weight, complete blood count or serum biochemistry in normal mice. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that mangosteen fruit extract upregulated the ER stress proteins CHOP, PERK and IRE1. Mangosteen fruit extract treatment effectively suppressed PCa cell growth in a xenograft mouse model without obvious toxicity, suggesting further research is needed to determine its potential as a cancer preventive and/or therapeutic agent. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2574. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2574

EGCG suppresses prostate cancer cell growth modulating acetylation of androgen receptor by anti-histone acetyltransferase activity

Manipulating acetylation status of key gene targets is likely to be crucial for effective cancer therapy. In this study, we utilized green tea catechins, epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to examine the regulation of androgen receptor acetylation in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells by histone acetyl-transferase (HAT) activity. EC, EGC and EGCG induced prostate cancer cell death, suppressed agonist-dependent androgen receptor (AR) activation and AR-regulated gene transcription. These results demonstrated a similar tendency to HAT inhibitory activities; EGCG>EGC>EC. The strongest HAT inhibitor among them, EGCG (50 µM), downregulated AR acetylation and finally, AR protein translocation to nucleus from the cytoplasmic compartment was effectively inhibited in the presence of the agonist. These results suggest another mechanism to develop effective therapeutics based on green tea catechins.

MST1 Is a Multifunctional Caspase-Independent Inhibitor of Androgenic Signaling

The MST1 serine-threonine kinase, a component of the RASSF1-LATS tumor suppressor network, is involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis and has been implicated in cancer. However, the physiologic role of MST1 in prostate cancer (PCa) is not well understood. Here, we investigated the possibility of a biochemical and functional link between androgen receptor (AR) and MST1 signaling. We showed that MST1 forms a protein complex with AR and antagonizes AR transcriptional activity as shown by coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP), promoter reporter analysis, and molecular genetic methods. In vitro kinase and site-specific mutagenesis approaches indicate that MST1 is a potent AR kinase; however, the kinase activity of MST1 and its proapoptotic functions were shown not to be involved in inhibition of AR. MST1 was also found in AR-chromatin complexes, and enforced expression of MST1 reduced the binding of AR to a well-characterized, androgen-responsive region within the prostate-specific antigen promoter. MST1 suppressed PCa cell growth in vitro and tumor growth in mice. Because MST1 is also involved in regulating the AKT1 pathway, this kinase may be an important new link between androgenic and growth factor signaling and a novel therapeutic target in PCa.

Inhibition of Stat3 activation by sanguinarine suppresses prostate cancer cell growth and invasion

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is an oncogenic transcriptional factor that plays a critical role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression and is a potential therapeutic target. Sanguinarine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived primarily from the bloodroot plant, was identified previously as a novel inhibitor of survivin that selectively kills prostate cancer cells over "normal" prostate epithelial cells. DU145, C4-2B, and LNCaP cells were treated with sanguinarine. The phosphorylation status of Stat3 and related proteins were measured with Western blots. Activation of transcription by Stat3 was measured with luciferase reporter assay. The effect of sanguinarine on anchorage-independent growth was examined with soft agar assay, and on cell migration and invasion of DU145 cells were measured with scratch assay and invasion assay, respectively. In this study, we identified sanguinarine as a potent inhibitor of Stat3 activation which was able to suppress prostate cancer growth, migration, and invasion. Sanguinarine inhibits constitutive as well as IL6-induced phosphorylation of Stat3 at both Tyr705 and Ser727 in prostate cancer cells. The inhibition of Stat3 phosphorylation by sanguinarine correlates with reduction of Janus-activated Kinase 2 (Jak2) and Src phosphorylation. Sanguinarine downregulates the expression of Stat3-mediated genes such as c-myc and survivin and inhibits the Stat3 responsive element luciferase reporter activity. Sanguinarine inhibits the anchorage-independent growth of DU145 and LN-S17 cells expressing constitutively activated Stat3. Migration and invasion abilities of DU145 cells were also inhibited by sanguinarine in a manner similar to the dominant negative form of Stat3. These data demonstrate that sanguinarine is a potent Stat3 inhibitor and it could be developed as a therapeutic agent for prostate cancer with constitutive activation of Stat3.

Olfactomedin 4 suppresses prostate cancer cell growth and metastasis via negative interaction with cathepsin D and SDF-1

The human olfactomedin 4 gene (OLFM4) encodes an olfactomedin-related glycoprotein. OLFM4 is normally expressed in a limited number of tissues, including the prostate, but its biological functions in prostate are largely unknown. In this study, we found that OLFM4 messenger RNA was reduced or undetectable in prostate cancer tissues and prostate cancer cell lines. To study the effects of OLFM4 on prostate cancer progression, we transfected PC-3 prostate cancer cells with OLFM4 to establish OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cell clones. The OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cell clones were found to have decreased proliferation and invasiveness compared with vector-transfected control PC-3 cells in vitro. In addition, nude mice injected with OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cells demonstrated reduced tumor growth and bone invasion and metastasis compared with mice injected with vector-transfected control cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that OLFM4 may exhibit its anticancer effects through regulating cell autophagy by targeting cathepsin D, as OLFM4 reduced cathepsin D protein levels and enzymatic activity and attenuated cathepsin D-induced cancer cell proliferation. In addition, overexpression of OLFM4 abrogated stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1)-induced PC-3 cell invasiveness in a Matrigel invasion assay, partially through blocking SDF-1-mediated AKT phosphorylation. Coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining studies in OLFM4-expressing PC-3 cells demonstrated a direct interaction between OLFM4 and cathepsin D or SDF-1. Taken together, these results suggest that OLFM4 negatively interacts with cathepsin D and SDF-1 and inhibits prostate cancer growth and bone metastasis.

Abstract 1892: Curcumin suppresses prostate cancer cells through modulation of β-catenin and protein kinase D1

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in the US. One in every 6th male will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Understanding the molecular basis of prostate cancer progression can serve as a tool for early stage diagnosis and development of novel treatment strategies for this disease. Inappropriate activation of β-catenin signaling is linked to a wide range of cancers, including prostate cancer, resulting in transcription of genes involved in cancer progression such as c-Myc, c-Jun and cyclin D1. However, strategies to regulate this specific signaling pathway are very limited or not well developed. Synthetic or natural products which regulate this signaling pathway can be developed as a novel therapeutic modality for prostate cancer treatment. Curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric, has shown anti-cancer properties via modulation of a number of different molecular pathways. Herein, we have investigated a putative molecular mechanism involved in curcumin mediated suppression of prostate cancer cell growth and the effect of curcumin on prostate cancer cells growth and its effect on β-catenin transcription activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cellular characteristics of the C4-2 prostate cancer cells were measured using anchorage independent growth, anchorage dependent growth, motility, and proliferation assays. β-catenin/T cell factor (TCF) transcription activity was measured by luciferase reporter assays using reporter constructs Topflash or Fopflash and pRL-TK (Renilla luciferase). The Luciferase activities were assayed using the Dual Glo reagent (dual reporter assay, Promega, Madison, WI). Subcellular localization of Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1) and β-catenin was determined by confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that curcumin effectively suppresses prostate cancer cell growth, proliferation and cellular motility. In the luciferase assays, curcumin treatment diminished β-catenin transcription activity in C4-2 prostate cancer cells. Moreover, curcumin treatment influences the translocation of β-catenin from the nucleus to the cell surface membrane. Interestingly, the suppression of β-catenin transcription activity was correlated with the modulation PKD1 expression/phosphorylation within 1-3 hrs post-curcumin treatment. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that curcumin treatment attenuates β-catenin transcription activity in prostate cancer cells via modulating the expression/activation of PKD1. These results suggest a novel molecular mechanism of curcumin related suppression of prostate cancer cell growth. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1892.

Camptothecin disrupts androgen receptor signaling and suppresses prostate cancer cell growth

The androgen receptor (AR) is the main therapeutic target for treatment of metastatic prostate cancers. The present study demonstrates that the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin selectively inhibits androgen-responsive growth of prostate cancer cells. Camptothecin strikingly inhibited mutated and wild-type AR protein expression in LNCaP and PC-3/AR cells. This inhibition coincided with decreased androgen-mediated AR phosphorylation at Ser 81 and reduced androgen-mediated AR transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, camptothecin disrupted the association between AR and heat shock protein 90 and impeded binding of the synthetic androgen [ 3H]R1881 to AR in LNCaP cells. Camptothecin also blocked androgen-induced AR nuclear translocation, leading to downregulation of the AR target gene PSA. In addition to decreasing the intracellular and secreted prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, camptothecin markedly inhibited androgen-stimulated PSA promoter activity. Collectively, our data reveal that camptothecin not only serves as a traditional genotoxic agent but, by virtue of its ability to target and disrupt AR, may also be a novel candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Abstract B75: Herbal extract amalgam Zyflamend suppresses prostate cancer cell growth and survival through inducing androgen receptor degradation and inhibiting AR signaling

Abstract Background: Prostate cancer is a public health problem due to its high incidence and mortality rates. The intervention of androgen receptor (AR) signaling is one of the methods for prostate cancer chemoprevention [eg. prostate cancer prevention trail (PCPT)] and therapy (androgen deprivation therapy). It is now being increasingly recognized that natural herbal and phytochemical agents can be crucial to decease the morbidity and mortality of prostate cancer for both chemoprevention and therapy. Zyflamend is an amalgam comprised of ten different herbal extracts (rosemary, turmeric, ginger, holy basil, green tea, hu zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, and Scutellaria baicalensis) and preliminary data showed that it reduced serum PSA after 18-month treatment in patients who has a prior biopsy showing HGPIN. We hypothesize that Zyflamend can induce anti-cancer effects through affecting AR signaling and androgen antagonist Casodox can sensitize cells to Zyflamend. Methods: We performed MTT, colony formation and soft agar assays to test the anti-cancer effects of Zyflamend. The alterations in cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry and further confirmed by Western blotting. AR and its downstream targets were analyzed at mRNA and protein level. Half-life of AR protein was tested by cycloheximide assay. The nuclear localization and activation of AR were detected by immunofluorescence and luciferase assays. Finally, the combination of androgen antagonist Casodex with Zyflamend was tested in LNCaP cells. Results: Zyflamend showed cytotoxicity on AR expressing human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP, VCaP and 22Rv1) and mouse prostate cancer cells (CASP1.1 and CASP2.1) in a dose and time dependent manner. Long term exposure to Zyflamend also reduced colony formation capacities of prostate cancer cells in both anchorage dependent and independent assays. Flow cytometry assay revealed that Zyflamend induced G1 phase arrest and apoptosis, manifested by the induction of p21waf1 and p27kip1 protein levels and cleavage of PARP and caspase-3. Of note, Zyflamend reduced AR expression in human and mouse prostate cancer cells, regardless of their androgen responsiveness, indicating that it is not restricted to specific cell line. We found that Zyflamend can reduce AR expression level at mRNA level by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and at protein stability level by cycloheximide assay. Zyflamend reduced AR protein level, induced by DHT treatment and inhibited DHT-induced cell proliferation. Consistently, AR downstream targets genes (PSA and NKX3.1) were reduced and luciferase assay revealed that PSA and probasin promoter activities were reduced by Zyflamend in dose dependent manner. Interestingly, co-treatment with 25 uM casodex sensitized LNCaP cells to the cytotoxicity of Zyflamend. Conclusions: These data indicate that Zyflamend suppressed cell growth through AR signaling, and suggested that the co-treatment of androgen antagonist casodex with Zyflamend may be a promising approach for chemoprevention and therapy. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B75.

Small molecule screening reveals a transcription-independent pro-survival function of androgen receptor in castration-resistant prostate cancer

In prostate cancer (PCa) patients, initial responsiveness to androgen deprivation therapy is frequently followed by relapse due to development of treatment-resistant androgen-independent PCa. This is typically associated with acquisition of mutations in AR that allow activity as a transcription factor in the absence of ligand, indicating that androgen-independent PCa remains dependent on AR function. Our strategy to effectively target AR in androgen-independent PCa involved using a cell-based readout to isolate small molecules that inhibit AR transactivation function through mechanisms other than modulation of ligand binding. A number of the identified inhibitors were toxic to AR-expressing PCa cells regardless of their androgen dependence. Among these, some only suppressed PCa cell growth (ARTIS), while others induced cell death (ARTIK). ARTIK, but not ARTIS, compounds caused disappearance of AR protein from treated cells. siRNA against AR behaved like ARTIK compounds, while a dominant negative AR mutant that prevents AR-mediated transactivation but does not eliminate the protein showed only a growth suppressive effect. These observations reveal a transcription-independent function of AR that is essential for PCa cell viability and, therefore, is an ideal target for anti-PCa treatment. Indeed, several of the identified AR inhibitors demonstrated in vivo efficacy in mouse models of PCa and are candidates for pharmacologic optimization.

Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer: Prediction and Mechanism

We investigated the SPINK 1 mutations in 156 sporadic pancreatic cancer (PCa), and 8 pancreatic cancer with chronic pancreatitis (CPPCa) patients, and in 527 healthy subjects. The results demonstrated that 3 of 8 patients with CPPCa (37.5%) had the SPINK 1 gene N34S mutation. In addition, 3 of 156 sporadic PCa patients (1.9%) and 1 of them (0.6%) had the N34S and IVS3+2T>C mutation, respectively. The combined frequency of 2.5% was significantly higher than that of healthy subjects (0.38%), suggesting that the SPINK 1 mutation is an important risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer. To investigate the genetic difference between sporadic PCa and CPPCa, we investigated several factors involved in the pathogenesis of PCa in 6 CPPCa and 15 sporadic PCa patients. The factors examined were genes including K-ras, p53, smad 4, p-smad 1, CXCL 14, NF-kB subunit p65 and Wnt 5a. No significant difference was found in the comparative examination of these factors, suggesting that the molecular disorders appeared to occur similarly in CPPCa as well as sporadic PCa. To assess the role of fibrosis in pancreatic carcinogenesis, we investigated the effects of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which are largely responsible for pancreatic fibrogenesis, on duct cells, in vitro and in vivo. Activated PSCs were found surrounding precancerous duct cells in the tissues of a dimethylbenzanthracene mouse model and those of human PCa. Consistently, human pancreatic epithelial duct cells cultured with PSC conditioned media showed increased cell proliferation and colony formation, suggesting that PSCs may promote pancreatic ductal tumorigenesis.

Angiotensin II up‐regulates PAX2 oncogene expression and activity in prostate cancer via the angiotensin II type I receptor

Paired homeobox 2 gene (PAX2) is a transcriptional regulator, aberrantly expressed in prostate cancer cells and its down-regulation promotes cell death in these cells. The molecular mechanisms of tumor progression by PAX2 over-expression are still unclear. However, it has been reported that angiotensin-II (A-II) induces cell growth in prostate cancer via A-II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and is mediated by the phosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Here we have demonstrated that A-II up-regulates PAX2 expression in prostate epithelial cells and prostate cancer cell lines resulting in increased cell growth. Furthermore, AT1R receptor antagonist losartan was shown to inhibit A-II induced PAX2 expression in prostate cancer. Moreover, analysis using pharmacological inhibitors against MEK1/2, ERK1/2, JAK-II, and phospho-STAT3 demonstrated that AT1R-mediated stimulatory effect of A-II on PAX2 expression was regulated in part by the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JAK II, and STAT3 pathways. In addition, we have showed that down-regulation of PAX2 by an AT1R antagonist as well as JAK-II and STAT3 inhibitors suppress prostate cancer cell growth. Collectively, these findings show for the first time that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may promote prostate tumorigenesis via up-regulation of PAX2 expression. Therefore, PAX2 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of carcinomas such as prostate cancer via the down-regulation of its expression by targeting the AT1R signaling pathways.

PDLIM4, An Actin Binding Protein, Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth

We investigated the molecular function of PDLIM4 in prostate cancer cells. PDLIM4 mRNA and protein-expression levels were reduced in LNCaP, LAPC4, DU145, CWR22, and PC3 prostate cancer cells. The re-expression of PDLIM4 in prostate cancer cells has significantly reduced the cell growth and clonogenicity with G1 phase of cell-cycle arrest. We have shown the direct interaction of PDLIM4 with F-actin. Restoration of PDLIM4 expression resulted in reduction of tumor growth in xenografts. These results suggest that PDLIM4 may function as a tumor suppressor, involved in the control of cell proliferation by associating with actin in prostate cancer cells.

Phthoxazolin A inhibits prostate cancer growth by modulating tumor–stromal cell interactions

Because stroma in tumor tissues can promote prostate cancer development, modulation of tumor-stromal cell interactions may represent an attractive new strategy for cancer treatment. Here, we report that phthoxazolin A and its analog inthomycin B inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer DU-145 cells by modulating tumor-stromal cell interactions. Using an in vitro coculture system, in which prostate cancer cell growth is upregulated by prostate stromal cells (PrSC), we found that phthoxazolin A and inthomycin B strongly inhibited the growth of DU-145 cells when in coculture with PrSC compared to DU-145 cells cultured alone. Although PrSC consist of both fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, phthoxazolin A and inthomycin B inhibited the expression of smooth muscle alpha-actin, a myofibroblast marker, without affecting vimentin and beta-actin expression. Because myofibroblasts secrete various factors that can promote tumor cell growth, we examined whether the inhibitory compounds affected the secretion of such factors from PrSC. Proteomic analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that phthoxazolin A and inthomycin B inhibited the expression of several insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I by PrSC. Transforming growth factor-beta1 increased myofibroblast numbers and IGF-I levels in PrSC. Phthoxazolin A inhibited transforming growth factor-beta1 activity without altering phosphorylation of the downstream molecule smad2. Furthermore, conditioned medium from phthoxazolin A-treated PrSC failed to increase the phosphorylation of IGF-IR and Akt in DU-145 cells. Taken together, our results suggested that phthoxazolin A acts as a small-molecule modulator of tumor-stromal cell interactions that can indirectly suppress prostate cancer cell growth through inhibition of IGF-I production by PrSC.