Protein identified to reduce tumor growth

As prostate cancer progresses, it becomes more aggressive and can metastasize. In this form, the tumor is difficult to treat, resulting in high mortality rates: worldwide, malignant prostate disease is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men.

An international study led by Lukas Kenner and Sabine Lagger has just identified a protein that could slow tumor growth. The results, which have just been published in Molecular cancerconstitute a new starting point for the development of therapies.

The complex molecular processes that lead to the progression of prostate cancer have not yet been fully elucidated by science. The protein known as JUN is under intense research as a possible driver of tumor growth.

“Many studies have shown that JUN is produced excessively in cancer. Thus, a link has been established between tumor growth and high levels of JUN,” explains Lukas Kenner (Clinical Institute of Laboratory Medicine at MedUni Vienna , Department of Laboratory Animal Pathology, Vetmeduni Vienna). ).

In collaboration with national and international partners, the opposite was shown to be true for prostate cancer: the research team's research using a mouse model and clinical samples revealed that cancer progression of the prostate is not accelerated but slowed down when JUN is present in high levels. It has been observed that the tumor grows faster when the protein is missing.

The fact that JUN plays an important role in the activation of genes and various processes such as cell growth was discovered in the 1980s. “In our investigations, we found that JUN is significantly involved in the regulation of prostate cancer by influencing the body's immune response”, explains Sabine Lagger from the Department of Laboratory Animal Pathology at Vetmeduni Vienna.

If the protein is missing, recruitment of certain immune cells to the tumor microenvironment is impaired, leading to accelerated cancer growth. These results could explain why prostate cancer responds less well to immunotherapy and could help understand how to reactivate local immune responses.

Most common cancer in men

Prostate cancer has been the most common cancer among men in Austria for decades. Every year, around 6,000 new cases and 1,300 deaths are recorded due to prostate cancer. In the vast majority of cases, prostate tumors remain localized and are therefore easily treatable. However, approximately 20% of patients develop metastatic prostate cancer, which remains difficult to treat.

“Our research suggests that activation of JUN could potentially be a promising therapeutic option for slowing the progression of prostate cancer,” say Lagger and Kenner. Further investigations are needed to confirm the results.