Knockdown of HSF۱ sensitizes resistant prostate cancer cell line to chemotherapy

The treatment of prostate cancer patients usually starts with androgen ablation and followed by chemotherapy; however, in some cases the tumor develops resistant phenotype. Combination therapy is currently regarded as a cornerstone in cancer therapy to overcome the drug resistance. Herein, we investigated the combinatory effect of Docetaxel and Trastuzumab with a novel nanomedicine, BCc۱. Also, we knocked down the expression of Heat shock factor-۱, HSF۱, in resistant Prostate Cancer cell line ۳, PC۳, using RNA interference, RNAi, to sensitize the cancer cells to the drug treatment. We observed down-regulation of Erb-B۲ Receptor Tyrosine Kinase ۳, ERBB۳, B-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma ۲, BCL۲, and Heat Shock Protein ۹۰, HSP۹۰, in HSF۱ knockdown PC۳ cells.  Knockdown of HSF۱ made PC۳ cells more susceptible to Docetaxel treatment. Additionally, BCc۱ nanomedicine was tested on prostate cancer cell line PC۳ for the first time. It resulted in reduced metabolic activity in these cells.  We propose that a combination of the gene therapy and the chemotherapy gives more favorable results in the treatment of refractory prostate cancer.

Keywords:

Prostate Cancer , Combination therapy , Nanochelating Technology