Transcriptome profiling of CXCR2+ neuroendocrine (NE) tumor cells purified from patients' fresh prostate adenocarcinoma

ABSTRACT: The development of therapy resistance is inevitable in prostate cancer (PCa) despite maximal inhibition of androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Here, we for the first time purified a rare AR-negative NE-cell subset from primary fresh human PCa tissue based on cell-surface receptor CXCR2 and showed that they possess gene signatures of lethal cancer through transcriptional profiling. Functional studies demonstrate CXCR2 to be a driver of NE cells’ key phenotypes, including loss of AR expression, lineage plasticity, and resistance to hormonal-therapy. Furthermore, CXCR2-driven NE cells are critical for the tumor microenvironment by providing a survival niche for the bulk AR+ luminal cells. Importantly, inhibition of CXCR2 by a chemical inhibitor or genetic manipulation dramatically inhibits aggressive PCa cells in-vitro and in-vivo, demonstrating a central role of NE cells in human PCa. Therefore, we firmly established that targeting NE cells through CXCR2 represents a novel, AR-independent therapeutic strategy that will eliminate all tumor cells (NE and luminal), achieving superior therapeutic efficacy.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE114326 | GEO | 2019/12/03

REPOSITORIES: GEO