From AR to c-Met: Androgen deprivation leads to a signaling pathway switch in prostate cancer cells

Abstract

Elucidating the role of androgen deprivation in the transition from androgen-dependence to independence may enable the development of more specific therapeutic strategies against prostate cancer. Our previous in vitro model was employed to further assess the effects of continuous androgen deprivation on prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) with respect to both androgen receptor (AR) and c-Met expression. The results indicated that long-term androgen deprivation resulted in a signaling pathway switch from AR to c-Met in androgen-sensitive cells, which was confirmed by immunofluorescence imaging and western blot analysis. This signaling pathway switch may be predictive of a more aggressive disease state following androgen deprivation therapy.