New Cancer Research UK study reveals prostate cancer insights

A new Cancer Research UK-led study has revealed insights into a potential new avenue for treating prostate cancer.

The new research reveals that the proteins p23 and HSP90 work independently to activate the larger androgen receptor (AR) protein, which plays a key role in prompting cell division.

Because AR often becomes overactive in cancerous cells, it is a common target for current prostate cancer therapies, with most modern treatments using HSP90 inhibition as their core mechanism.

Previously, it was thought that p23 and HSP90 work together to activate AR, but now that it is known that p23 also works independently, it could be targeted as a means of addressing prostate cancer types that have become resistant to HSP90 inhibitors.

Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK added: "What's more, p23 has a much more defined role in the cell than HSP90, meaning that drugs that target it could potentially have fewer side effects for patients than HSP90 inhibitors."

Figures from the research charity show that prostate cancer is the most common cancer type among UK males, with more than 34,000 cases diagnosed every year.