Jenny Persson, Professor, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Sweden
Image source: Umeå University; photo: Mattias Petterson
Blocking TRβ using NH-3 worked by leading to the elimination of a particular signal, the androgen receptor signal, which is otherwise activated by testosterone and then plays a central role in the development of prostate cancer.
A review of data from cohorts of patients with prostate cancer supports these findings. In tissue samples, elevated levels of TRβ could be seen in tumours in the prostate compared to those in healthy tissue. In addition, genetic analyses show that mutations in many prostate cancer patients alter the signalling pathways for thyroid hormone. This suggests that blocking the thyroid hormone and its receptor may be a target for further research to find new treatments for prostate cancer.
“Of course, it is a balancing act not to change the hormonal balance in the thyroid gland more than necessary to fight cancer in another part of the body, and it will probably not be a solution for all types of prostate cancer. Further research will have to answer what a treatment could look like, possibly in combination with other treatments. Of course, this is an interesting track,” says Lukas Kenner.
Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer among men in the world. When detected early, the disease is usually treated by reducing the amount of testosterone. However, many patients become resistant to this treatment, and as a result, the number of available treatments is limited.
Source: Umeå University