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Projekt Druckansicht

Die Rolle der Mediator-Komplex-Untereinheiten MED12 und MED15 in der Entwicklung des androgen-abhängigen Prostatakarzinoms zum kastrations-resistenten Prostatakarzinom.

Fachliche Zuordnung Pathologie
Förderung Förderung von 2015 bis 2019
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 268940839
 
Erstellungsjahr 2020

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

In the first part of this project, we have achieved main aims of this grant focusing on the role of MED15 in PCa. Our results highlight that MED15 is involved in the development of CRPC and connected to cancer-driven pathways including PI3K activation. Inhibiting MED15 under androgen deprived conditions reflecting circumstances under androgen deprivation therapy in patients induced apoptosis of cells suggesting to further investigating MED15 inhibition as therapeutic target for CRPC. Subsequently, we explored the involvement of the Mediator subunit CDK19 in PCa instead of MED12 as initially intended. Hereby, we found that CDK19 is up-regulated in advanced, metastatic PCa and predicts disease recurrence suggesting CDK19 as prognostic biomarker for risk stratification. Results of following in vitro analyses mainly contribute to a better understanding of its molecular functions in PCa. We observed that CDK19 has major impact on both gene transcription as well as post-translational protein modification through phosphorylation of multiple cancer-related substrates. Furthermore, CDK19 inhibition by diverse recently developed small molecule inhibitors resulted in significant anti-tumor effects such as impaired migration and invasion. First results of follow-up projects show that CDK19 inhibition might sensitize CRPC cells to androgen-blockade suggesting that the combined treatment with established androgen deprivation and simultaneous CDK19 inhibition might be a promising therapeutic option for patients. Collectively, these projects contribute to better understand the molecular involvement of the Mediator complex in human cancers. Several Mediator subunits have been linked to cancer-related pathways and specific cancer entities highlighting its crucial involvement in cancer initiation, progression and the development of therapy resistance. CDK8, the gene paralog of CDK19, is a known colon cancer oncogene and contributes to diverse pro-tumorigenic cellular processes. Therefore, multiple small molecule inhibitors targeting CDK8 and CDK19 have been recently developed. Results of our tissue and function in vitro experiments strongly suggest testing these inhibitors for the treatment of patients suffering from metastatic and/or castration-resistant PCa. Results of this study provided the basis for subsequent follow-up projects which are currently ongoing.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

 
 

Zusatzinformationen

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