Thioredoxin-1 protects against androgen receptor-induced redox vulnerability in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Nat Commun. 2017 Oct 31;8(1):1204. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01269-x.

Abstract

Androgen deprivation (AD) therapy failure leads to terminal and incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). We show that the redox-protective protein thioredoxin-1 (TRX1) increases with prostate cancer progression and in androgen-deprived CRPC cells, suggesting that CRPC possesses an enhanced dependency on TRX1. TRX1 inhibition via shRNA or a phase I-approved inhibitor, PX-12 (untested in prostate cancer), impedes the growth of CRPC cells to a greater extent than their androgen-dependent counterparts. TRX1 inhibition elevates reactive oxygen species (ROS), p53 levels and cell death in androgen-deprived CRPC cells. Unexpectedly, TRX1 inhibition also elevates androgen receptor (AR) levels under AD, and AR depletion mitigates both TRX1 inhibition-mediated ROS production and cell death, suggesting that AD-resistant AR expression in CRPC induces redox vulnerability. In vivo TRX1 inhibition via shRNA or PX-12 reverses the castration-resistant phenotype of CRPC cells, significantly inhibiting tumor formation under systemic AD. Thus, TRX1 is an actionable CRPC therapeutic target through its protection against AR-induced redox stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Disease Progression
  • Disulfides / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / pathology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Receptors, Androgen / metabolism*
  • Thioredoxins / metabolism*

Substances

  • AR protein, human
  • Disulfides
  • Imidazoles
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Receptors, Androgen
  • Thioredoxins
  • 1-methylpropyl-2-imidazolyl disulfide