PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Prostate cancer signal reawakens 'sleeper agent' cells in bones

2014-01-29
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Omar Jamshed
omar.jamshed@bioscientifica.com
44-014-546-42206
BioScientifica Limited
Prostate cancer signal reawakens 'sleeper agent' cells in bones Dormant prostate cancer cells in bone tissue can be reawakened to cause secondary tumours, according to new research published in Endocrine-Related Cancer. Targeting the wake-up call could prevent metastasis and improve prostate cancer survival rates.

Metastasis is the spread of cancer from one organ to another and is a highly complex process, involving cancer cells breaking away from a primary tumour, travelling to a distant organ and colonising it. Cancer cells that fail to form a tumour in the newly-encountered tissue can fall into a dormant state. Researchers from the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute in California found that dormant prostate cancer cells within bone tissue can be reawakened to a cancerous state when exposed to RANKL, a molecule commonly produced in inflammatory cells. This reawakening can lead to metastatic prostate cancer in bone tissue.

Produced by prostate cancer cells, RANKL is a signalling molecule that has been previously linked with human prostate cancer survival. In this study, researchers engineered a clinically relevant prostate cancer cell line to overproduce RANKL. They found that these cells could significantly alter the gene expression of surrounding cells in vitro, causing them to transform into aggressive cancer cells.

Researchers then injected engineered RANKL cells directly into the blood circulation of mice, which caused dormant cells within the skeleton to re-awaken, ultimately creating tumours within the bone. When the RANKL receptor was blocked, these tumours did not form.

After examination, these tumours were found to contain both the RANKL-overproducing prostate cancer cells, as well as the dormant cells, which had been transformed to become cancerous. Remarkably, the transformed cells displayed aggressive traits that would make them resistant to the normal hormone therapies used to treat prostate cancer.

The findings are preliminary as the study used prostate cancer cells that had been engineered to overproduce RANKL. The next step is to see if other cells known to produce RANKL may also be able to recruit dormant cells to colonise bone tissue.

"We are currently embarking into clinical research with human patients," said lead researcher and postdoctoral fellow Chia-Yi (Gina) Chu, PhD. "Though more work must be done to understand how RANKL reprograms dormant cells to become cancerous, we look forward to examining its influence on promoting metastasis and secondary tumours."

Each year, a quarter of a million men die from prostate cancer worldwide (1). Bones are the most common site of prostate cancer metastases and are typically lethal in 72 percent of cases based on a five year survival rate (2). "If we can prevent prostate cancer metastasis to bone we would significantly enhance patient quality of life and increase survival rates," added Chu.

### (1) World Health Organisation (2008) World Cancer Report 2008 [Accessed 20/01/2014]

(2) Prostate Cancer Overview (2013) American Cancer Society [Accessed 21/01/2014]


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Research finds elevated levels of DDT metabolite in patients with Alzheimer's

2014-01-29
DALLAS – January 29, 2014 – Exposure to DDT may increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, a study with researchers at UT Southwestern ...

Clemson researcher to present at Connecticut's youth concussion conference

2014-01-29
Clemson University researcher Jimmy Sanderson was invited to present at a special session entitled "Communication with Student Athletes About Concussions" at The Connecticut Concussion Conference, ...

Nipping diabetes in the bud

2014-01-29
An estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Another 79 million are thought to have "prediabetes," meaning they are at risk ...

Tropics are main source of global mammal diversity

2014-01-29
Ever since the nineteenth century scientists have recognised that some regions contain more species than others, and that the tropics are richer in biodiversity than temperate regions. But why are there more species in ...

Preterm birth is associated with increased risk of asthma and wheezing disorders

2014-01-29
Children who are born preterm have an increased risk developing asthma and wheezing disorders during childhood according to new research published in PLOS Medicine. The research by Jasper ...

Malaria screening unsuccessful in some schools

2014-01-29
School-based intermittent screening and treatment programs for malaria may be unsuccessful in low to moderate transmission areas A school-based intermittent screening and treatment program for malaria in rural coastal Kenya ...

Bacterial toxin a potential trigger for multiple sclerosis

2014-01-29
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have added to the growing body of evidence that multiple sclerosis may be triggered by a toxin produced by common foodborne bacteria. The presented their ...

Intranasal vaccine protects mice against West Nile infection

2014-01-29
Researchers from Duke University have developed a nasal vaccine formulation that provides protective immunity against West Nile virus (WNV) infection in mice after only 2 doses. They present their ...

Finding points to possible new Parkinson's therapy

2014-01-29
A new study shows that, when properly manipulated, a population of support cells found in the brain called astrocytes could provide a new and promising approach to treat Parkinson's disease. ...

High-tech 'whole body' scan could improve treatment of bone marrow cancer

2014-01-29
The new type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan could improve care for a type of cancer called myeloma and reduce reliance on bone marrow biopsies, which can be painful for ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

ESMO 2025: VT3989 continues to show promising early results in patients with advanced mesothelioma

Study finds COVID-19 mRNA vaccine sparks immune response to fight cancer

ESMO 2025: mRNA-based COVID vaccines generate improved responses to immunotherapy

Drug combo cuts risk of death in advanced prostate cancer by 40%

ADC improves outcomes for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer who are ineligible for immune checkpoint inhibitors

Novel treatment combination improves progression-free survival in metastatic, estrogen-receptor-positive HER-2-negative breast cancer

ESMO 2025: Trial results show belzutifan shrinks rare neuroendocrine tumors and improves symptoms in patients

ESMO 2025: Dual targeted therapy shows promise in previously treated advanced kidney cancer patients

New generation of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) shows unprecedented promise in early-stage disease

Sylvester Cancer Tip Sheet for October 2025

Three science and technology leaders elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

Jump Trading CSO Kevin Bowers elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

Former Inscripta CEO Sri Kosaraju elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

Citadel’s Jordan Chetty elected to Hertz Foundation Board of Directors

McGill research flags Montreal snow dump, inactive landfills as major methane polluters

A lightweight and rapid bidirectional search algorithm

Eighty-five years of big tree history available in one place for the first time

MIT invents human brain model with six major cell types to enable personalized disease research, drug discovery

Health and economic air quality co-benefits of stringent climate policies

How immune cells deliver their deadly cargo

How the brain becomes a better listener: How focus enhances sound processing

Processed fats found in margarines unlikely to affect heart health

Scientists discover how leukemia cells evade treatment

Sandra Shi MD, MPH, named 2025 STAT Wunderkind

Treating liver disease with microscopic nanoparticles

Chemicals might be hitching a ride on nanoplastics to enter your skin

Pregnant patients with preexisting high cholesterol may have elevated CV risk

UC stroke experts discuss current and future use of AI tools in research and treatment

The Southern Ocean’s low-salinity water locked away CO2 for decades, but...

OHSU researchers develop functional eggs from human skin cells

[Press-News.org] Prostate cancer signal reawakens 'sleeper agent' cells in bones