Activation of androgen receptor can prolong the survival time of breast cancer patients

Activation of androgen receptor can prolong the survival time of breast cancer patients. Nature Sub-Journal: Effective for 80% of breast cancer! Activation of androgen receptor can prolong the survival time of breast cancer patients.

This study provides us with a very credible evidence that androgen receptor (AR) can be used to treat estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, including those breast cancer patients who are resistant to endocrine therapy.

Breast cancer has now become the world’s largest cancer. The latest global cancer burden data released by the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) shows that there will be 2.26 million new cases of breast cancer worldwide and 680,000 deaths in 2020. In China, the incidence of breast cancer is also increasing year by year. According to WHO’s forecast, China will have 410,000 new breast cancer cases in 2020.

In the process of breast development, the role of estrogen is essential, but at the same time, estrogen also drives the occurrence of most breast cancers. Studies have shown that about 80% of breast cancers are related to estrogen.

In fact, androgens can inhibit breast development, and almost all estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers express androgen receptors. Therefore, there have been historical studies on the use of androgens for breast cancer treatment, but Due to side effects and the emergence of drugs that directly target estrogen receptors, research on androgen therapy for breast cancer has been shelved.

Nowadays, estrogen receptor inhibitors have become the standard treatment for estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. This method is also known as endocrine therapy for breast cancer. But resistance to these drugs is the main cause of breast cancer death.

On January 18, 2021, researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia published a research paper titled: The androgen receptor is a tumor suppressor in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in Nature Medicine.

The study provides clear evidence that androgen receptor (AR) is positive for estrogen receptor (ER+) breast cancer has a significant anti-cancer effect, which is better than existing drugs targeting estrogen receptors, and can be used in combination with Pabocinil (CDK4/6 kinase inhibitor) to further enhance the effect.

Estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer accounts for about 80% of all breasts, and androgen receptor (AR) has therapeutic effects in multiple stages of breast cancer. This study is expected to replace the existing targeted estrogen receptors. Endocrine therapy for breast cancer by ER has brought new hope to most breast cancer patients.

 
Hormone receptor is a protein molecule located on the cell surface or inside the cell. It can specifically bind to hormones to form a hormone-receptor complex, which in turn triggers a series of physiological and biochemical reactions in the cell.

Androgen receptor (AR) is an intermediary substance of androgen action. It is synthesized under the guidance of the human body’s X chromosome gene and can bind to androgen to form a receptor complex, and then androgen performs its function.

The estrogen receptor (ER) can be located in the cell membrane, cytoplasm or nucleus, and can trigger gene regulation mechanism after binding to the estrogen receptor, and regulate the transcription of downstream genes.
Androgen receptor is a sign of good prognosis for ER+ breast cancer. Multivariate analysis confirmed that AR is a good prognostic factor, independent of other variables, including progesterone receptor (PR), HER2, etc.

Androgens can antagonize estrogenic activity

Androgens can not only inhibit the normal growth of breast, but also inhibit cell proliferation in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer.

Activating androgen receptor can permanently inhibit the growth of ER+ breast cancer in vivo

The activation of endogenous androgen receptor (AR) has a significant inhibitory effect in primary estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, is positively correlated with disease-free survival, and has a significant ability to predict prognosis. In future trials of targeted therapy with androgen receptor (AR) agonists, this feature may be of value for breast cancer prognosis prediction or patient selection and treatment response assessment.

All in all, this study provides us with a very credible evidence that androgen receptor (AR) can be used to treat estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, including those breast cancer patients who are resistant to endocrine therapy.

The study also provides new evidence that androgen receptor (AR) agonists are more effective than existing breast cancer treatment drugs (such as tamoxifen), or new standard treatment regimens, and can be combined with Pabocinil ( CDK4/6 kinase inhibitors) are used in combination to enhance breast cancer treatment.

Given that androgen receptor (AR) agonists are effective in multiple stages of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, this treatment strategy may become an alternative to endocrine therapy for breast cancer

(source:internet, reference only)

Disclaimer of medicaltrend.org