Scientists find a new weakness in treatment-resistant prostate cancer
Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified two biological pathways that contribute to treatment-resistant prostate cancer. By targeting these pathways, scientists hope to prevent cancer cells from changing their identity, a process known as transdifferentiation.
Why it matters
This discovery could lead to more effective therapies for metastatic prostate cancer and potentially other aggressive cancers that currently lack treatment options.
About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Many patients survive the disease, but prostate cancer can sometimes spread to other parts of the body and become metastatic.
In the United States, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death among men.
Most prostate tumors initially resemble the glands of the prostate and express genes associated with glandular cells. Their growth also commonly depends on androgens, male hormones such as testosterone.
Because of this dependence, androgen receptor inhibitors are a mainstay of treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. These drugs can work well at first, but nearly all patients eventually develop resistance.
How Prostate Cancer Changes To Escape Treatment
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