Prostate Cancer Drug Resistance: A New Player
Zeda Zhang, a graduate student in the laboratory of physician-scientist Charles Sawyers at MSK, presented research showing that CAFs do promote resistance to hormone therapy. The cells secrete a protein called NRG1, which binds to a receptor called HER3 on the surface of prostate cancer cells. This sends a signal into the cancer cells to reactivate growth.
The researchers used human prostate cancer tissue implanted into mice. The results showed blocking the NRG1-HER3 signal made hormone-resistant tumors sensitive to the therapy once again. The finding suggests that targeting NRG1 could restore this sensitivity in men with advanced prostate cancer whose tumors have become resistant to the drugs.
“One important thing we still need to learn is whether NRG1 promotes resistance from the very beginning of the disease or if it starts in response to the hormone therapy,” Mr. Zhang explains. “That would affect which patients might receive drugs blocking the protein. We hope to get a clearer idea with further research.”
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