Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have found a promising new way to stop prostate cancer from becoming more aggressive and harder to treat.
The study, led by Dr. Joshi Alumkal, focused on a protein called LSD1 (lysine-specific demethylase 1), which appears to play a key role in how prostate tumors grow and change over time.
Most prostate cancers are manageable in the early stages. They typically remain as a type called adenocarcinoma, which often responds well to treatments like surgery or radiation.
However, in some cases, these tumors change and become more dangerous. This transformation is known as lineage plasticity, and it can turn the cancer into a form called neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Once this shift happens, treatment becomes much more difficult, and the disease is harder to control.
The researchers discovered that LSD1 is not only important in early-stage prostate cancer but is even more active in these aggressive neuroendocrine tumors.
LSD1 helps control which genes are turned on or off, and in prostate cancer, it turns on genes that help the tumor grow and survive. When the researchers removed LSD1 from cancer cells in the lab, the tumor growth slowed down significantly.
One of the most exciting parts of this study is the identification of a drug that could block LSD1. The drug, called seclidemstat, belongs to a group known as allosteric inhibitors. These drugs work by stopping LSD1 from functioning properly.
Seclidemstat is already being tested in clinical trials for another type of cancer (sarcoma), but in this study, it showed strong potential for treating aggressive prostate cancer as well.
In tests with mice, seclidemstat didn’t just slow down the cancer—it caused some tumors to shrink completely, and it didn’t cause any serious side effects. This gives hope that it could become a safe and effective treatment for patients with aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
The study also uncovered another important connection between LSD1 and a gene called p53. This gene acts like a bodyguard for cells, helping to prevent cancer by stopping abnormal cell growth.
However, LSD1 seems to interfere with p53, weakening its tumor-fighting ability. When LSD1 was blocked, p53 started working again, helping to slow down or stop tumor growth. This means that treatments targeting LSD1 could be even more powerful because they help the body’s natural defenses kick back in.
These findings are especially important for people with neuroendocrine prostate cancer, a rare but deadly form of the disease that currently has very few treatment options. The results of this study suggest that drugs like seclidemstat might give these patients a new way to fight back against the cancer.
Dr. Alumkal and his team hope that clinical trials testing LSD1 inhibitors in aggressive prostate cancer can begin soon, especially since seclidemstat is already being tested in humans for other cancers. This could speed up the process of bringing this new treatment to patients.
This research might also benefit people with other types of cancer where LSD1 plays a role. While studies continue on how best to use LSD1 inhibitors, the research highlights how targeting the right proteins can make a big difference in cancer care.
In addition to medical treatments, other studies show that lifestyle choices can also help reduce the risk of cancer. Regular exercise, a diet high in fiber and yogurt, vitamin D, and strong immune health all play a part in cancer prevention and recovery.
Published in JCI Insight, this study brings us one step closer to developing better treatments for aggressive prostate cancer and may pave the way for new options in other cancers as well.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies that plant-based diets may reduce risk of colorectal cancer in men, and Low-fat diet may help stop cancer growth.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies about How to harness the power of anti-cancer foods and supplements and results showing that Empower your plate: cancer-fighting foods and recipes.
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