Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

Author: Lund University
Published: 12 Aug 2011 - Updated: 30 May 2024
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Findings

Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Related Publications

Synopsis: Prostate cancer that has become resistant to hormone treatment and does not respond to radiation or chemotherapy requires new methods of treatment.

Introduction

By attacking stem cell-like cells in prostate cancer, researchers at Lund University are working on a project to develop a new treatment option.

Main Content

A successful interdisciplinary project is underway between two research groups, in which senior researcher Rebecka Hellsten and Professor Anders Bjartell at the Faculty of Medicine's division for Urological Cancer Research, Skane University Hospital in Malma, and Professor Olov Sterner and Assistant Professor Martin Johansson at the Lund University division of Organic Chemistry recently published their latest research findings in the scientific online journal PLoS ONE.

"Prostatic tumors are thought to consist only of about 0.1 percent cancer stem cells, but if you are not successful in eradicating that tumor cell population, there is a risk of subsequent uncontrolled growth of the tumor. The cancer stem cells are often unresponsive to both hormonal treatment and to chemotherapy, so it is essential to develop a direct treatment towards all types of cancer cells", says Anders Bjartell.

Exploring the tumor biology of prostate cancer, the research group have now observed that the protein STAT3 is active in the stem cell-like cells. In their previous studies, they have proven that the natural compound galiellalactone affects STAT3 and has inhibitory effects on the growth of prostate cancer.

Through the development of new specific STAT3-inhibitors with galiellalactone as a model, the researchers hope to develop targeted therapies that attack the stem cell-like cancer cells in prostate cancer and prevent the tumor from growing and spreading.

Publication

Galiellalactone Inhibits Stem Cell-Like ALDH-Positive Prostate Cancer Cells, published in PLoS ONE.

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Lund University and published on 12 Aug 2011, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.