BACKGROUND: Androgen receptor targeted therapies have emerged as an effective tool to manage advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Nevertheless, frequent occurrence of therapy resistance represents a major challenge in the clinical management of patients, also because the molecular mechanisms behind therapy resistance are not yet fully understood. In the present study, we therefore aimed to identify novel targets to intervene with therapy resistance using gene expression analysis of PCa co-culture spheroids where PCa cells are grown in the presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and which have been previously shown to be a reliable model for antiandrogen resistance. METHODS: Gene expression changes of co-culture spheroids (LNCaP and DuCaP seeded together with CAFs) were identified by Illumina microarray profiling. Real-time PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and cell viability assays in 2D and 3D culture were performed to validate the expression of selected targets in vitro and in vivo. Cytokine profiling was conducted to analyze CAF-conditioned medium. RESULTS: Gene expression analysis of co-culture spheroids revealed that CAFs induced a significant upregulation of cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis pathways in PCa cells. Cytokine profiling revealed high amounts of pro-inflammatory, pro-migratory and pro-angiogenic factors in the CAF supernatant. In particular, two genes, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A synthase 2 (HMGCS2) and aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3), were significantly upregulated in PCa cells upon co-culture with CAFs. Both enzymes were also significantly increased in human PCa compared to benign tissue with AKR1C3 expression even being associated with Gleason score and metastatic status. Inhibiting HMGCS2 and AKR1C3 resulted in significant growth retardation of co-culture spheroids as well as of various castration and enzalutamide resistant cell lines in 2D and 3D culture, underscoring their putative role in PCa. Importantly, dual targeting of cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis with simvastatin, a commonly prescribed cholesterol synthesis inhibitor, and an inhibitor against AKR1C3 had the strongest growth inhibitory effect. CONCLUSIONS: From our results we conclude that CAFs induce an upregulation of cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis in PCa cells, driving them into AR targeted therapy resistance. Blocking both pathways with simvastatin and an AKR1C3 inhibitor may therefore be a promising approach to overcome resistances to AR targeted therapies in PCa. Video abstract.

• MeSH
• androgenní receptory metabolismus   MeSH
• anotace sekvence MeSH
• benzamidy farmakologie   MeSH
• biologické modely MeSH
• biosyntetické dráhy genetika   MeSH
• buněčné sféroidy metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• buněčný cyklus genetika   MeSH
• chemorezistence účinky léků   genetika   MeSH
• cholesterol biosyntéza   MeSH
• extracelulární matrix metabolismus   MeSH
• fenotyp MeSH
• fenylthiohydantoin farmakologie   MeSH
• fibroblasty asociované s nádorem metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• kultivační média speciální farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory prostaty rezistentní na kastraci genetika   patologie   MeSH
• nádory prostaty genetika   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• nitrily farmakologie   MeSH
• progrese nemoci * MeSH
• proliferace buněk genetika   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u nádorů účinky léků   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• simvastatin farmakologie   MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• upregulace * MeSH
• viabilita buněk účinky léků   genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH