New study helps understand why some prostate cancer treatments do not work as expected
The study, led by researchers at Tampere University, analysed data from 120 prostate cancer patients and identified a novel interaction between the immune system and club-like epithelial cells. Although these cells share a similar origin with cancer cells, they employ a different signalling strategy and are found in areas of tissue with increased immunosuppressive activity.
Immunosuppression is a mechanism that prevents the body’s own defence system from destroying malignant cells, causing a subdued treatment response. Specifically, immunosuppression is elicited by myeloid-derived suppressor cells that infiltrate the tumour microenvironment.
“Myeloid cells are a vital component of a normally functioning immune response. In cancer, the regular function of these cells is disturbed, causing a chronic inflammation and myeloid cell accumulation in the tumour,” says Antti Kiviaho, the first author of the study.
The accumulation of myeloid cells in the tumour is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with advanced, treatment-resistant prostate cancer. Treatment resistance is a major challenge in prostate cancer management, and discovering new strategies to address this issue would lead to more effective tools for combating the disease.
Previous research has shown that blocking myeloid infiltration can re-sensitise tumours to commonly used androgen deprivation therapy, which reduces the levels of male hormones that promote tumour growth. In the study, club-like cells were found to be resistant to androgen deprivation.
“Our study implicates club-like cells in this process, but further investigation into their specific function is necessary,” adds Dr Alfonso Urbanucci.
The study utilised technologies that allowed researchers to observe cells in their original spatial environments. This methodology was key to uncovering cell-cell interactions within the tumour microenvironment.
“Many of the previously used protocols lose the spatial information of cells, making it difficult to understand their organisational patterns in live tissue. The discovery of joint localisation between club-like and myeloid cells would not have been possible without this information,” Professor Matti Nykter comments.
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University College London in the UK, and KU Leuven in Belgium. The study was led by Professor Matti Nykter, Dr Alfonso Urbanucci, and first author Antti Kiviaho from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University. It was supported by the Research Council of Finland, Cancer Foundation Finland, and the Norwegian Cancer Society (Kreftforeningen).
The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on 16 November 2024. The article is available online
Prostate cancer
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.
- Approximately 5,000 new cases are diagnosed in Finland each year.
- The average age at diagnosis is 70 years old.
- Management strategies depend on disease aggressiveness and range from watchful waiting to surgery, radiation and hormonal therapy.
Further information
Antti Kiviaho
+358445141297
antti.kiviaho [at] tuni.fi (antti[dot]kiviaho[at]tuni[dot]fi)
Matti Nykter
+358503186869
matti.nykter [at] tuni.fi (matti[dot]nykter[at]tuni[dot]fi)
Alfonso Urbanucci
+358509131576
+4745038687
alfonso.urbanucci [at] tuni.fi (alfonso[dot]urbanucci[at]tuni[dot]fi)
