Reciprocal Feedback Regulation of PI3K and Androgen Receptor Signaling in PTEN-Deficient Prostate Cancer

Brett S. Carver, Caren Chapinski, John Wongvipat, Haley Hieronymus, Yu Chen, Sarat Chandarlapaty, Vivek K. Arora, Carl Le, Jason Koutcher, Howard Scher, Peter T. Scardino, Neal Rosen, Charles L. Sawyers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1014 Scopus citations

Abstract

Prostate cancer is characterized by its dependence on androgen receptor (AR) and frequent activation of PI3K signaling. We find that AR transcriptional output is decreased in human and murine tumors with PTEN deletion and that PI3K pathway inhibition activates AR signaling by relieving feedback inhibition of HER kinases. Similarly, AR inhibition activates AKT signaling by reducing levels of the AKT phosphatase PHLPP. Thus, these two oncogenic pathways cross-regulate each other by reciprocal feedback. Inhibition of one activates the other, thereby maintaining tumor cell survival. However, combined pharmacologic inhibition of PI3K and AR signaling caused near-complete prostate cancer regressions in a Pten-deficient murine prostate cancer model and in human prostate cancer xenografts, indicating that both pathways coordinately support survival.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)575-586
Number of pages12
JournalCancer Cell
Volume19
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 17 2011

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