PERSONALIZED PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SEX STEROID-DEPENDENT SCLEROTIC BONE METASTASES IN PROSTATE CANCER

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in Sweden. While the local disease is rarely lethal, the 5-year survival of patients with metastatic disease is only about 30%. PCa metastases take place most often in the bone. These metastases often lead to disorganized and uncontrolled bone formation, leading to life-threating consequences.

Thus, to improve the overall survival of PCa patients it is crucial to prevent the establishment of bone metastasis and to reduce the growth of already established bone metastasis. PCa bone metastases arise and grow by a complex interaction between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment.

In our study, this interaction is analyzed by single cell resolution in intra tibial xenografts in mice with established PCa cell lines and patient derived tumor material.

We hypothesize that local sex steroid action in the bone microenvironment is crucial for the establishment and growth of the metastases.

In addition, we hypothesize that the underlying sex steroid-related cause(s) of bone metastases differ between PCa patients and, therefore, may be advantageous to develop personalized prevention and treatment of sclerotic bone metastases in PCa.

Our overall aim in this proposal is to facilitate the development of personalized prevention and treatment of sex steroid-dependent sclerotic bone metastases in PCa.

This challenge is tackled by our unique combination of expertise in sex steroid action, bone biology, and PCa treatment.