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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
07:25

A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

Published on: March 6, 2018

The androgen receptor fuels prostate cancer by regulating central metabolism and biosynthesis

Charles E Massie1, Andy Lynch, Antonio Ramos-Montoya

  • 1CRUK Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge, UK.

The EMBO Journal
|May 24, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified a new anabolic pathway regulated by the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer. Targeting calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 shows promise for inhibiting tumor growth by modulating metabolism.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Metabolomics

Background:

  • The androgen receptor (AR) is crucial for prostate growth and a primary target in prostate cancer therapy.
  • Previous research identified AR targets but lacked integrated AR biology characterization.
  • Understanding AR's role in anabolic pathways is key for developing new cancer treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize an anabolic transcriptional network regulated by the AR in prostate cancer.
  • To find AR targets involved in anabolic processes that could be therapeutically targeted.
  • To explore novel therapeutic strategies by restricting tumor cell metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Integrated genomic studies and metabolomic profiling.
  • Analysis of AR targets involved in anabolic pathways.
  • Investigating the role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 in prostate cancer.

Main Results:

  • Anabolic transcriptional network with AR as the core regulator was identified.
  • Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) was found to be overexpressed in prostate cancer.
  • CaMKK2 acts as a hormone-dependent modulator of anabolic metabolism, regulating cancer cell growth.

Conclusions:

  • An interdisciplinary approach can identify promising therapeutic targets from transcriptional studies.
  • CaMKK2 is a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer due to its role in anabolic metabolism.
  • Restricting flux through anabolic pathways is a viable strategy for depriving tumors of essential building blocks.

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