Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Isolation of Cancer Stem Cells From Human Prostate Cancer Samples
Published on: March 14, 2014
[Molecular-targeted therapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer]
Kazuo Nishimura1, Hitoshi Takayama, Masashi Nakayama
1The Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University.
Abstract:
Molecular-targeted therapy is to treat pathologic pathways specifically in tumor cell or tumor microenvironment. Specific molecular-targeted therapeutic agents for hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) include endothelin-A receptor antagonist, EGF receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) inhibitor, nuclear factor of kappaB (NF-kappaB) inhibitor, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) inhibitor, and active form of Vitamin D. These agents have been investigated in clinical trials. So far, none of the above-mentioned agent has shown a sufficient clinical efficacy alone. However, docetaxel-based combinations with thalidomide or calcitriol have promising clinical activities. Further investigations are needed to optimize the molecular-targeted agents in the combinations with chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of HRPC.
Related Concept Videos
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Types of Hormones
Types of Hormones
Steroids and eicosanoids fall under the category of lipid-soluble hormones. Steroids are derived from cholesterol and feature four interconnected carbon rings with variable side chains. Notable examples include estradiol from ovaries and testosterone from testes, exemplifying the critical roles of these lipid-soluble hormones in reproductive physiology. Eicosanoids, derived...
Target Cell Response to Hormones
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Hormonal Regulation

