Introduction: : Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical mechanism that promotes cancer cells to metastasis. Therefore, EMT regulation has become an important target in anticancer therapy approaches in recent years. However, in metastatic prostate cancer (PC), the EMT regulatory effect has not fully understood for cabazitaxel (Cbx), a third line taxane-based chemotherapeutic for metastatic castration-resistant PC.
Aim: In this study, we investigated the antimetastatic and EMT-regulatory effects of Cbx on hormone-sensitive metastatic PC cells.
Materials and methods: The anticancer effects of Cbx were assessed by WST-1 and Annexin V analysis. The antimetastatic effect of Cbx was evaluated by wound healing and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction through EMT-mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) markers as well as EMT-repressor microRNAs (miRNAs) in Cbx-treated LNCaP cells.
Results: Our results showed that, in addition to its apoptotic and anti-migratory activities, Cbx exhibited the EMT-repressor effects through the prominent downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and Snail levels as EMT-promoting factors, and the significant upregulation of the certain miRNAs, including miR-205, miR-524, and miR-124, which play a role in EMT-repressing by targeting regulators of the EMT-associated genes.
Conclusion: Although further evaluations are needed to improve the findings, we showed that, in addition to its classical taxane function, Cbx has a regulatory effect on EMT-MET cycling in hormone-sensitive metastatic PC.
Keywords: Cabazitaxel; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; microRNA; prostate cancer; snail.