Drugs Effective in Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer

Two compounds induce tumor regression in mouse models

14 april 2009-- Two compounds are effective in treating advanced prostate cancer resistant to first-line treatments, according to research published online April 9 in Science.

Chris Tran, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and colleagues screened for non-steroidal anti-androgens that bound to androgen receptors with high sensitivity and specificity, particularly in cells expressing high levels of androgen receptor, a hallmark of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The researchers identified the diarylthiohydantoins RD162 and MDV3100, which had a higher affinity for androgen receptors than the clinically used anti-androgen bicalutamide and blocked the downstream effects of the receptor. In mouse models of castration-resistant prostate cancer, both compounds were able to induce tumor regression when given orally. Of 30 men with castration-resistant prostate cancer who had failed first-line anti-androgens, 43 percent of those treated with MDV3100 had declines of more than 50 percent in the levels of prostate-specific antigen, the authors report.

"These compounds thus appear to be promising candidates for treatment of advanced prostate cancer," Tran and colleagues conclude.

Abstract
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