Compound Preventing Growth of Prostate Cancer Cells Identified

Finnish researchers have demonstrated that an antibiotic called monensin prevents the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Monensin is typically used in the meat and dairy industry. Evidence relating to the effects of monensin emerged in a project studying the effects of nearly 5,000 drugs and micromolecules on the growth of prostate cancer cells. The study involved most of the drugs on the market today. Researchers found that small amounts of compounds--disulfiram (Antabus), thiram, tricostatin A, and monensin--could prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells without significant effects on the growth of the normal human prostate epithelial cells.

Investigators involved on the project were from from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland (Espoo) and the University of Turku (Finland). Additional research revealed that monensin caused prostate cancer cell death by reducing the amount of testosterone receptor and by increasing production of reactive oxygen species and inducing DNA damage. Moreover, monensin was shown to have combined effects with antiandrogen--the drugs suppressing the effects of androgens--in preventing prostate cancer cell growth.

"These research findings give rise to a potential new use for the monensin. The results also demonstrate that the effects of antiandrogens in suppressing the growth of cancer cells can be enhanced by using drugs inducing production of reactive oxygen species,” said senior research scientist Kristiina Iljin from VTT and research scientist Kirsi Ketola from the University of Turku.

The research findings concerning the effects of drugs and micromolecules were published in the Clinical Cancer Research journal in 2009. The study on the effects of monensin on preventing the growth of prostate cancer was published in the Molecular Cancer Therapeutics journal in December 2010.

Recently, medical companies have shown great interest in these kinds of projects geared to finding novel indications for established drugs. Because the dosage and adverse effects of drugs already in use and their combined effects with other drugs are relatively well known, this kind of drug repositioning may result in considerable cost savings.

Related Links:
VTT Technical Research Center of Finland
University of Turku