Biological and clinical significance of the AGE-RAGE axis in the aggressiveness and prognosis of prostate cancer

J Food Drug Anal. 2023 Dec 15;31(4):664-682. doi: 10.38212/2224-6614.3475.

Abstract

Dietary factors and chronic hyperglycemia are linked to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and prostate cancer (PCa) risk. The activation of the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) acts as a bridge between various RAGE ligands and certain malignancies. This study showed that the interaction of AGEs and RAGE promoted PCa cell proliferation, invasion, and autophagy-mediated survival in response to chemotherapeutic agents. RAGE-overexpressed PCa cells underwent epithelial-mesenchymal transition and showed increased cancer stem cell-like properties. In mouse xenograft models, RAGE-overexpressed cells showed more substantial tumorigenic capacity than parental cells, whereas RAGE knockdown decreased tumorigenicity. The clinical data validated a positive correlation between high AGE and RAGE expressions with poor clinical outcomes. Our findings suggest that the AGE-RAGE axis facilitates PCa progression and aggressiveness. Prostatic AGEs and RAGE expression levels are associated with PCa prognosis. Adherence to a reduced-AGE diet and targeting RAGE are potential approaches to complement and synergize with the current PCa therapies.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Clinical Relevance*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Prognosis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products / genetics
  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China under grant MOST103-2313-B-038-001-MY3.