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The β2-Adrenergic Receptor Is a Molecular Switch for Neuroendocrine Transdifferentiation of Prostate Cancer Cells

Braadland, Peder R. ; Ramberg, Håkon ; Grytli, Helene Hartvedt ; Urbanucci, Alfonso ; Nielsen, Heidi Kristin ; Guldvik, Ingrid Jenny ; Engedal, Andreas ; Ketola, Kirsi ; Wang, Wanzhong and Svindland, Aud , et al. (2019) In Molecular cancer research : MCR 17(11). p.2154-2168
Abstract

The incidence of treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is rising as more potent drugs targeting the androgen signaling axis are clinically implemented. Neuroendocrine transdifferentiation (NEtD), an putative initial step in t-NEPC development, is induced by androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or anti-androgens, and by activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) in prostate cancer cell lines. Thus, understanding whether ADRB2 is involved in ADT-initiated NEtD may assist in developing treatment strategies that can prevent or reverse t-NEPC emergence, thereby prolonging therapeutic responses. Here we found that in primary, treatment-naïve prostate cancers, ADRB2 mRNA was positively correlated with expression of... (More)

The incidence of treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is rising as more potent drugs targeting the androgen signaling axis are clinically implemented. Neuroendocrine transdifferentiation (NEtD), an putative initial step in t-NEPC development, is induced by androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or anti-androgens, and by activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) in prostate cancer cell lines. Thus, understanding whether ADRB2 is involved in ADT-initiated NEtD may assist in developing treatment strategies that can prevent or reverse t-NEPC emergence, thereby prolonging therapeutic responses. Here we found that in primary, treatment-naïve prostate cancers, ADRB2 mRNA was positively correlated with expression of luminal differentiation markers, and ADRB2 protein levels were inversely correlated with Gleason grade. ADRB2 mRNA was upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer, and progressively downregulated during ADT and t-NEPC emergence. In androgen-deprivated medium, high ADRB2 was required for LNCaP cells to undergo NEtD, measured as increased neurite outgrowth and expression of neuron differentiation and neuroendocrine genes. ADRB2 overexpression induced a neuroendocrine-like morphology in both androgen receptor (AR)-positive and -negative prostate cancer cell lines. ADRB2 downregulation in LNCaP cells increased canonical Wnt signaling, and GSK3α/β inhibition reduced the expression of neuron differentiation and neuroendocrine genes. In LNCaP xenografts, more pronounced castration-induced NEtD was observed in tumors derived from high than low ADRB2 cells. In conclusion, high ADRB2 expression is required for ADT-induced NEtD, characterized by ADRB2 downregulation and t-NEPC emergence. IMPLICATIONS: This data suggest a potential application of β-blockers to prevent cancer cells committed to a neuroendocrine lineage from evolving into t-NEPC.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Molecular cancer research : MCR
volume
17
issue
11
pages
15 pages
publisher
American Association for Cancer Research
external identifiers
  • scopus:85074445190
  • pmid:31395667
ISSN
1557-3125
DOI
10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-18-0605
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e549a7ae-4692-45e7-9b53-b6b226f50283
date added to LUP
2019-11-19 13:31:58
date last changed
2024-05-01 00:46:38
@article{e549a7ae-4692-45e7-9b53-b6b226f50283,
  abstract     = {{<p>The incidence of treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is rising as more potent drugs targeting the androgen signaling axis are clinically implemented. Neuroendocrine transdifferentiation (NEtD), an putative initial step in t-NEPC development, is induced by androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or anti-androgens, and by activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) in prostate cancer cell lines. Thus, understanding whether ADRB2 is involved in ADT-initiated NEtD may assist in developing treatment strategies that can prevent or reverse t-NEPC emergence, thereby prolonging therapeutic responses. Here we found that in primary, treatment-naïve prostate cancers, ADRB2 mRNA was positively correlated with expression of luminal differentiation markers, and ADRB2 protein levels were inversely correlated with Gleason grade. ADRB2 mRNA was upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer, and progressively downregulated during ADT and t-NEPC emergence. In androgen-deprivated medium, high ADRB2 was required for LNCaP cells to undergo NEtD, measured as increased neurite outgrowth and expression of neuron differentiation and neuroendocrine genes. ADRB2 overexpression induced a neuroendocrine-like morphology in both androgen receptor (AR)-positive and -negative prostate cancer cell lines. ADRB2 downregulation in LNCaP cells increased canonical Wnt signaling, and GSK3α/β inhibition reduced the expression of neuron differentiation and neuroendocrine genes. In LNCaP xenografts, more pronounced castration-induced NEtD was observed in tumors derived from high than low ADRB2 cells. In conclusion, high ADRB2 expression is required for ADT-induced NEtD, characterized by ADRB2 downregulation and t-NEPC emergence. IMPLICATIONS: This data suggest a potential application of β-blockers to prevent cancer cells committed to a neuroendocrine lineage from evolving into t-NEPC.</p>}},
  author       = {{Braadland, Peder R. and Ramberg, Håkon and Grytli, Helene Hartvedt and Urbanucci, Alfonso and Nielsen, Heidi Kristin and Guldvik, Ingrid Jenny and Engedal, Andreas and Ketola, Kirsi and Wang, Wanzhong and Svindland, Aud and Mills, Ian G. and Bjartell, Anders and Taskén, Kristin Austlid}},
  issn         = {{1557-3125}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{2154--2168}},
  publisher    = {{American Association for Cancer Research}},
  series       = {{Molecular cancer research : MCR}},
  title        = {{The β<sub>2</sub>-Adrenergic Receptor Is a Molecular Switch for Neuroendocrine Transdifferentiation of Prostate Cancer Cells}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-18-0605}},
  doi          = {{10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-18-0605}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}