Blocking cell adhesion to treat aggressive prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer that no longer responds to inhibitors of androgens, called 'castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)', tends to be more aggressive.  Comparison of the DNA of prostate cancers lead to the identification of a protein, N-cadherin, that is present at high levels in many of these cancers.  N-cadherin is a cell adhesion molecule. The researchers were able to develop antibodies that block the activity of N-cadherin.

In culture and in mouse models, the antibody was shown to inhibit the growth of CRPC and to prevent the development of CRPC from androgen sensitive prostate cancer.