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Published on: November 15, 2013

Inhibition of the androgen receptor activity by Coprinus comatus substances

Nesly Dotan1, Solomon P Wasser, Jamal Mahajna

  • 1MIGAL-Galilee Technology Center, Cancer Drug Discovery Program, Kiryat Shmona, Israel.

Nutrition and Cancer
|October 11, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Coprinus comatus mushroom extract shows potential as a natural treatment for advanced prostate cancer. It effectively inhibits androgen receptor (AR) activity, reducing cancer cell growth and proliferation.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Prostate cancer, particularly advanced stages, is a significant cause of cancer death in Western men.
  • Current treatments for advanced prostate cancer are often ineffective due to resistance.
  • Altered androgen receptor (AR) activity is a key factor in the progression to androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antiandrogenic activity of the mushroom Coprinus comatus (C. comatus) strain 734.
  • To identify active compounds from C. comatus that can modulate androgen receptor (AR) signaling.
  • To explore the therapeutic potential of C. comatus in treating prostate disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Activity-guided chromatography was used to isolate active fractions from C. comatus extract.
  • Inhibition of AR-mediated reporter activity and AR/PSA transcript levels in LNCaP cells was assessed.
  • Cell proliferation, clonigenicity, AR-DNA binding, and Akt-mediated AR phosphorylation were evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Two active fractions, F-32 and F-33, inhibited AR-mediated reporter activity and reduced AR and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) transcript levels.
  • Fraction F-32 inhibited LNCaP cell proliferation and clonigenicity.
  • F-32 also inhibited AR binding to the PSA enhancer region and Akt-mediated AR phosphorylation.

Conclusions:

  • Substances from C. comatus mushroom strain 734 possess significant antiandrogenic activity.
  • C. comatus derived compounds can inhibit key mechanisms driving prostate cancer progression.
  • C. comatus shows potential as a source of natural antiandrogenic modulators for treating prostatic disorders.

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