Background/aim: Cabazitaxel is an approved second-line treatment for docetaxel-refractory metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, the median time to progression on cabazitaxel is 2.8 months. We aimed to determine whether DNA methylation plays a role in cabazitaxel resistance.
Materials and methods: DU145 cells, resistant to docetaxel and cabaxitaxel (DU145 10DRCR), were generated from cells resistant to 10 nM docetaxel (DU145 10DR). The effect of pre-treatment with 5-azacytidine was determined with regards to cabazitaxel sensitivity. Gene expression profiling was carried-out on DU145 10DR, DU145 10DRCR and DU145 10DRCR treated with 5-azacytidine.
Results: Pre-treatment of cells with 5-azacytidine resulted in enhanced sensitivity to cabazitaxel. Gene expression profiling identified a subset of genes that may be regulated by DNA methylation.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that DNA methylation of pro-apoptotic and cell-cycle regulatory genes may contribute to cabazitaxel resistance and pre-treatment with 5-azacytidine may restore sensitivity to cabazitaxel in prostate cancer cells.
Keywords: DNA methylation; Epigenetics; drug resistance; prostate cancer.
Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.