Overexpression of the epigenetic modifier metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) is associated with aggressive human prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine MTA1- targeted chemopreventive and therapeutic efficacy of pterostilbene, a natural potent analog of resveratrol, in pre-clinical models of prostate cancer.
Here, we show that high levels of MTA1 expression in Pten-loss prostate cooperate with key oncogenes, including c-Myc and Akt among others, to promote prostate cancer progression. Loss-of-function studies using human prostate cancer cells indicated direct involvement of MTA1 in inducing inflammation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of MTA1 by pterostilbene resulted in decreased proliferation and angiogenesis and increased apoptosis. This restrained prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) formation in prostate-specific Pten heterozygous mice and reduced tumor development and progression in prostate-specific Pten-null mice. Our findings highlight MTA1 as a key upstream regulator of prostate tumorigenesis and cancer progression. More significantly, it offers pre-clinical proof for pterostilbene as a promising lead natural agent for MTA1-targeted chemopreventive and therapeutic strategy to curb prostate cancer.
Oncotarget. 2016 Mar 01 [Epub ahead of print]
Swati Dhar, Avinash Kumar, Liangfen Zhang, Agnes M Rimando, Janice M Lage, Jack R Lewin, Azeddine Atfi, Xu Zhang, Anait S Levenson
Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Natural Product Utilization Research Unit, MS, USA., Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., Center of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA., Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.