UBC Theses and Dissertations

UBC Theses Logo

UBC Theses and Dissertations

Targeting MCT4 for treatment of advanced prostate cancers : inhibiting cell proliferation and enhancing anticancer immunity through suppressing lactic acid secretion and elevated glycolysis Choi, Stephen Yiu Chuen

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer in North American males and a leading cause of cancer deaths. The lack of effective treatment options for advanced PCa such as AR-positive castration-resistant PCa (CRPC-AD) and the highly aggressive AR-negative CRPC, e.g. neuroendocrine PCa (CRPC-NE) presents a critical, unmet need for the development of novel therapeutics. Altered metabolism in the form of elevated aerobic glycolysis is a common cancer characteristic. Here we propose a novel conceptual understanding for the central, functional role of excessive cancer-generated lactic acid. In particular, the acidification of the tumor microenvironment via increased MCT4-mediated lactic acid secretion can facilitate multiple crucial cancer-promoting processes, including proliferation, tissue invasion/metastasis, angiogenesis, and suppression of local anticancer immunity. As such, the inhibition of MCT4 could be an effective therapeutic strategy broadly impacting multiple downstream lactate-associated tumour-promoting processes. Experimentally, we were able to confirm the clinical relevance of elevated glycolysis and increased lactic acid production in various advanced PCa patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and patient tumours using a novel metabolic pathway score. In particular, NEPC tumours appear to rely much more heavily on elevated aerobic glycolysis and MCT4-mediated lactic acid secretion. In a proof-of-concept study using MCT4-specific antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), reduced MCT4 expression is able to reduce proliferation, invasion/migration, and glucose metabolism of advanced PCa cells in vitro. More importantly, we demonstrated in two distinct in vivo models containing residual functional immune cells that MCT4 inhibition enhanced anticancer immunity. Finally, a state-of-the-art in silico drug discovery pipeline was employed in the first steps towards developing a potent and specific MCT4 small molecule inhibitor. Computer modeling of MCT4 structure, virtual molecular docking, and downstream experimental validation identified a promising hit series based on the chemical scaffold of VPC-25009 as a potential second therapeutic modality for MCT4 inhibition. Taken together, we were able to provide experimental support for our novel hypothesis regarding the central tumour-promoting and immunosuppressive role of cancer-generated lactic acid. A therapeutic approach blocking lactic acid secretion by targeting MCT4 function could thus inhibit multiple downstream lactate-associated processes for effective treatment of advanced PCa and other highly glycolytic cancers.

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International