Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel
06:44

Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel

Published on: September 8, 2017

Etoposide induces growth arrest and disrupts androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer cells

Shicheng Liu1, Hitoshi Yamauchi

  • 1Department of Research and Development, Nipro Patch Co., Ltd., Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan. liu@nipro-patch.co.jp

Oncology Reports
|December 4, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Etoposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, effectively halts prostate cancer growth by targeting the androgen receptor (AR). This drug represses AR expression and function, offering a new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is fundamental to prostate cancer development and progression.
  • Targeting AR is a key strategy in treating prostate cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of etoposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, on androgen/AR signaling in prostate cancer cells.
  • To determine if etoposide can serve as an AR-disrupting agent for prostate cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Prostate cancer cells were treated with etoposide.
  • AR mRNA and protein expression levels were measured.
  • AR translocation, AR-HSP90 association, and androgen binding to AR were assessed.
  • Intracellular and secreted prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were quantified.

Main Results:

  • Etoposide significantly inhibited androgen/AR-mediated cell growth and DNA synthesis.
  • Etoposide dose-dependently repressed AR mRNA and protein expression.
  • Etoposide blocked androgen-induced AR nuclear translocation and disrupted AR-HSP90 association.
  • Etoposide reduced PSA levels, indicating an effect on cancer progression.

Conclusions:

  • Etoposide exhibits potent anti-prostate cancer activity by directly targeting the androgen receptor pathway.
  • Etoposide acts as an AR-disrupting agent, suggesting its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.

More Related Videos

Prostate Organoid Cultures as Tools to Translate Genotypes and Mutational Profiles to Pharmacological Responses08:36

Prostate Organoid Cultures as Tools to Translate Genotypes and Mutational Profiles to Pharmacological Responses

Published on: October 24, 2019

MEDUSA for Identifying Death Regulatory Genes in Chemo-genetic Profiling Data07:17

MEDUSA for Identifying Death Regulatory Genes in Chemo-genetic Profiling Data

Published on: February 7, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...