Dataset Information

The small molecule WNT/β-catenin inhibitor CWP232291 blocks the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer by activating the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Androgen receptor (AR)-targeted treatments improve the survival of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients; however, secondary resistance to these agents ultimately occurs in virtually all patients. Therefore, alternative therapeutic targets are urgently needed. Since growing evidence demonstrates that WNT/β-catenin signaling plays an important role in CRPC, the antitumor activity and mechanism of action of CWP232291, a small molecule β-catenin inhibitor, were investigated in prostate cancer. METHODS:We assessed the antitumor activity of CWP232291 in prostate cancer cell lines and primary cells derived from CRPC patients. The effect of CWP232291 on apoptotic cell death, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, cell viability, and WNT/β-catenin signaling was evaluated by flow cytometry, western blotting, luciferase reporter assay, and fluorescence microscopy. Antitumor efficacy was assessed in two CRPC xenograft mouse models. RESULTS:CWP232291 induced ER stress, resulting in upregulation of the proapoptotic protein CHOP and activation of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. In addition, CWP232291 suppressed the expression of β-catenin by affecting WNT-dependent transcriptional activity, and downregulated AR and its splice variants in prostate cancer cells. Antitumor activity was observed in prostate cancer cells in vitro and ex vivo, and antitumor efficacy was observed in vivo. CONCLUSIONS:Beyond providing preclinical evidence of therapeutic efficacy for the novel small molecule β-catenin inhibitor CWP232291 in CRPC, our results show that inducing ER stress and targeting WNT/β-catenin signaling may be a novel strategy against CRPC.

SUBMITTER: Pak S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6685284 | biostudies-other | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The small molecule WNT/β-catenin inhibitor CWP232291 blocks the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer by activating the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Pak Sahyun S Park Sejun S Kim Yunlim Y Park Jung-Hyuck JH Park Chan-Hee CH Lee Kyoung-June KJ Kim Choung-Soo CS Ahn Hanjong H

Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR 20190806 1

<h4>Background</h4>Androgen receptor (AR)-targeted treatments improve the survival of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients; however, secondary resistance to these agents ultimately occurs in virtually all patients. Therefore, alternative therapeutic targets are urgently needed. Since growing evidence demonstrates that WNT/β-catenin signaling plays an important role in CRPC, the antitumor activity and mechanism of action of CWP232291, a small molecule β-catenin inhibitor, were inv ...[more]

PMID: 31387608

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundWnt signaling is a cellular pathway involved in embryogenesis, development, and neoplasia. Wnt-pathway activation may accelerate prostate cancer androgen-independent growth and mediate antiandrogen resistance. Since 10-20% of advanced prostate cancers harbor Wnt-activating mutations, we aimed to characterize the clinical features and response to novel antiandrogens in such patients.ObjectiveTo determine whether men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who harbor Wnt-pathway mutations have poorer responses to first-line novel hormonal therapies: abiraterone/enzalutamide.Design, setting, and participantsPatients with mCRPC who received first-line abiraterone or enzalutamide were retrospectively evaluated. Using tumor DNA analyses, we queried for activating mutations in CTNNB1 or inactivating mutations in APC or RNF43, all of which are predicted to stimulate Wnt signaling. Presence or absence of at least one Wnt-activating alteration was correlated with clinical-pathologic characteristics and treatment outcomes.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisTime to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, overall survival (OS), and PSA response were measured. Cox regression models were used to test associations between Wnt status and clinical-pathologic outcomes; Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses were used to compare time-to-event endpoints.Results and limitationsOf 137 patients evaluated, 11% (n=15) had tumor DNA analysis showing at least one Wnt-stimulating alteration. Patients with Wnt-activating mutations had numerically fewer T3/T4 tumors than Wnt wild-type patients (31% vs 51%), but were otherwise generally balanced. Median time to PSA progression on first-line abiraterone/enzalutamide was shorter in Wnt-activated patients (6.5 vs 9.6mo, hazard ratio [HR] 2.34, p=0.003), as was OS (23.6 vs 27.7mo, HR 2.28, p=0.01). PSA responses were numerically worse in Wnt-activated patients (53% vs 75%, p=0.12). Presence of Wnt-activating alterations (adjusted HR [aHR] 2.33, p=0.007) and use of previous chemotherapy (aHR 1.83, p=0.004) were both independently associated with increased hazard of progression.ConclusionsPatients with somatic Wnt-pathway activating mutations have worse outcomes to first-line abiraterone/enzalutamide than Wnt wild-type patients. Our data suggest that additional genomically informed therapies are needed for this relevant subset of mCRPC patients.Patient summaryIn this report, we retrospectively examined outcomes of metastatic prostate cancer patients with or without Wnt-pathway mutations who received abiraterone or enzalutamide for the first time, in order to examine whether these mutations affect the prognosis. Our study suggested that patients who have Wnt-pathway activating mutations derived less benefit from abiraterone and enzalutamide when compared to patients without these mutations. We conclude that Wnt-pathway mutations might decrease the effectiveness of abiraterone and enzalutamide, and we propose that the Wnt pathway might be a good therapeutic target for these patients, in order to potentially reverse or prolong resistance to abiraterone and enzalutamide in men with Wnt mutations.

Project description:Introduction:Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in males in the United States. Despite the initial efficacy of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer (PCa) patients, most patients progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the androgen-independent progression of PCa remain largely unknown. Methods:In this study, we established a PCa cell line (LNCaP-AI) by maintaining LNCaP cells under androgen-depleted conditions. To explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms of androgen-independent growth of PCa, we analyzed the gene expression patterns in androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) compared with that in androgen-dependent prostate cancer (ADPC). KEGG pathway analysis revealed that Wnt signaling pathways were activated after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). In vitro experiments showed that the inhibition of Wnt pathway reduced AIPC cell growth by inhibiting cell cycle progression and promoting apoptosis. Furthermore, WNT5A, LEF1 were identified as direct targets of AR by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and public ChIP-seq datasets analysis. Results:In the present study, we found a regulatory mechanism through which crosstalk between androgen receptor (AR) and Wnt signals promoted androgen-independent conversion of PCa. The Wnt pathway was inhibited by androgen in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells, but this blocking effect was not elicited in androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells. Moreover, Wnt pathway genes WNT5A and LEF1 were directly downregulated by AR. In vitro experiments showed that inhibition of the Wnt pathways repressed AIPC cell growth by inhibiting cell cycle progression and promoting apoptosis. We found that WNT5A and LEF1 were downregulated in low-grade PCa but upregulated in metastatic PCa. Conclusion:In summary, we revealed that crosstalk between AR and Wnt signaling pathways promotes androgen-independent growth of PCa, which may provide novel therapeutic opportunities for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Dataset Information

The small molecule WNT/β-catenin inhibitor CWP232291 blocks the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer by activating the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Publications

The small molecule WNT/β-catenin inhibitor CWP232291 blocks the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer by activating the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets