Androgen receptor monomers and dimers regulate opposing biological processes in prostate cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: Most prostate cancers express the androgen receptor (AR), and tumor growth and progression are facilitated by exceptionally low levels of systemic or intratumorally produced androgens. Thus, absolute inhibition of the androgen signaling axis remains the goal of current therapeutic approaches to treat prostate cancer (PCa). Paradoxically, high dose androgens also exhibit considerable efficacy as a treatment modality in patients with late-stage metastatic PCa. Here we show that low levels of androgens, functioning through an AR monomer, facilitate a non-genomic activation of the mTOR signaling pathway to drive proliferation. Conversely, high dose androgens facilitate the formation of AR dimers/oligomers to suppress c-MYC expression, inhibit proliferation and drive a transcriptional program a

SUBMITTER: Safi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11371910 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature