Emerging data on androgen receptor splice variants in prostate cancer

    1. Yan Dong1,2
    1. 1College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
    2. 2Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
    1. Correspondence should be addressed to Y Dong; Email: ydong{at}tulane.edu

    Abstract

    Androgen receptor splice variants are alternatively spliced variants of androgen receptor, which are C-terminally truncated and lack the canonical ligand-binding domain. Accumulating evidence has indicated a significant role of androgen receptor splice variants in mediating resistance of castration-resistant prostate cancer to current therapies and in predicting therapeutic responses. As such, there is an urgent need to target androgen receptor splicing variants for more effective treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Identification of precise and critical targeting points to deactivate androgen receptor splicing variants relies on a deep understanding of how they are generated and the mechanisms of their action. In this review, we will focus on the emerging data on their generation, clinical significance and mechanisms of action as well as the therapeutic influence of these findings.

    Keywords
    • Received 27 September 2016
    • Accepted 4 October 2016
    • Made available online as an Accepted Preprint 4 October 2016
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