Androgen biosynthesis in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in adult males in the USA. Recent advances have revealed that the fatal form of this cancer, known as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), remains hormonally driven despite castrate levels of circulating androgens. CRPC arises as the tumor undergoes adaptation to low levels of androgens by either synthesizing its own androgens (intratumoral androgens) or altering the androgen receptor (AR). This article reviews the major routes to testosterone and dihydrotestosterone synthesis in CRPC cells and examines the enzyme targets and progress in the development of isoform-specific inhibitors that could block intratumoral androgen biosynthesis. Because redundancy exists in these pathways, it is likely that inhibition of a single pathway will lead to upregulation of another so that drug resistance would be anticipated. Drugs that target multiple pathways or bifunctional agents that block intratumoral androgen biosynthesis and antagonize the AR offer the most promise. Optimal use of enzyme inhibitors or AR antagonists to ensure maximal benefits to CRPC patients will also require application of precision molecular medicine to determine whether a tumor in a particular patient will be responsive to these treatments either alone or in combination.

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Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Academic Insights and Perspectives Analysis

10.21203/rs.2.10359/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Lugeng He ◽

Hui Fang ◽

Chao Chen ◽

Yanqi Wu ◽

Yuyong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Developed Countries ◽

The United States ◽

Vital Role ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer ◽

Research Areas ◽

Castration Resistant ◽

The Usa ◽

Future Direction

Abstract Background In recent years, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (MCRPC) and studies related to MCRPC have drawn global attention. The main objective of this bibliometric study was to provide an overview of MCRPC, explore clusters and trends in research and investigate the future direction of MCRPC research. Methods A total of 4,089 publications published between 1979 and 2018 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database. Different aspects of MCRPC research, including the countries/territories, institutions, journals, authors, research areas, funding agencies and author keywords, were analyzed. Results The number of annual MCRPC publications increased rapidly after 2010. American researchers played a vital role in this increase, as they published the most publications. The most productive institution was Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. De Bono, JS (the United Kingdom [UK]) and Scher, HI (the United States of America [USA]) were the two most productive authors. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded the largest number of published papers. Analyses of keywords suggested that therapies (abiraterone, enzalutamide, etc.) would attracted global attention after US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Conclusions Developed countries, especially the USA,were the leading nations for MCRPC research because of their abundant funding and frequent international collaborations. Therapy was one of the most vital aspects of MCRPC research. Therapies targeting DNA repair or the androgen receptor (AR) signing pathway and new therapies especially prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based radioligand therapy (RLT) would be the next focus of MCRPC research.

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Prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions among nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with apalutamide and enzalutamide.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e18690 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e18690-e18690

Author(s):

Sreevalsa Appukkuttan ◽

Chunmay Fu ◽

Yuxian Du ◽

Ashley Cha ◽

Jacqueline Parkin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Drug Interactions ◽

Real World ◽

Potential Drug ◽

Adult Males ◽

Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer ◽

Castration Resistant ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Study Population ◽

Concomitant Medications

e18690 Background: Patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) are often treated with concurrent medications for the management of comorbid conditions. This increases the risk of drug interactions which may lead to compromised efficacy and safety of nmCRPC therapies. This study aimed to characterize potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) with the novel anti-androgen (AA) agents enzalutamide (Enza) and apalutamide (Apa) in a real-world nmCRPC population. Methods: We analyzed Optum Clinformatics Data Mart, a large claims database from January 1, 2017, through March 31, 2020. The study population included adult males with prostate cancer, evidence of castration, >1 pharmacy claim for Apa or Enza (index date defined as drug initiation), and without codes for metastases. Darolutamide, a more recently approved AA, was not included due to lack of data. Concomitant medications were defined as therapy with at least 1 day overlap with Apa and Enza. The top concomitant medications covering 99% of Apa and Enza population were assessed for pDDI using Micromedex, Lexicomp, and Drugs.com compendia. Results: We identified 149 Apa and 319 Enza patients with mean age 77 years across groups. The study population was primarily white (56.3% Apa; 56.7% Enza) and had Medicare insurance (81.0% Apa; 82.2% Enza). Mean Charlson comorbidity index scores were similar for each group (Apa: 2.3 [SD: 4.1]; Enza: 2.4 [SD: 2.4]). Polypharmacy was common in both groups, with the majority taking ≥5 medications (Apa: 79.8%; Enza: 75.9%). Of the co-medications included in this analysis, Micromedex, Lexicomp and Drugs.com flagged 12, 38 and 53 pDDIs for Apa, and 7, 35 and 49 pDDIs for Enza, respectively. A pDDI was identified for 35% Apa and 21% Enza patients using Micromedex and >80% of Apa and Enza patients using other compendia. The pDDIs by severity and risk rating as defined by the respective compendia are shown in Table. Specifically, 4 interactions for Apa and 1 for Enza were rated X (i.e., avoid combination). Conclusions: This study finds a high prevalence of pDDIs among Apa and Enza patients signifying the need for strict monitoring while initiating these therapies. Given the high prevalence of polypharmacy and comorbidities among nmCRPC, these patients may benefit from drugs with lower interaction potential. Future real-world analyses should be conducted to characterize the clinical and economic impact of these pDDIs as well as to assess pDDI for darolutamide. [Table: see text]

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