AR-V7 and prostate cancer: The watershed for treatment selection?

Abstract

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a key role in progression to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Despite the recent progress in targeting persistent AR activity with the next-generation hormonal therapies (abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide), resistance to these agents limits therapeutic efficacy for many patients. Several explanations for response and/or resistance to abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide are emerging, but growing interest is focusing on importance of AR splice variants (AR-Vs) and in particular of AR-V7. Increasing evidences highlight the concept that variant expression could be used as a potential predictive biomarker and a therapeutic target in advanced prostate cancer. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of treatment resistance or sensitivity can help to achieve a more effective management of mCRPC, increasing clinical outcomes and representing a promising and engaging area of prostate cancer research.

Keywords: AR-V7; Androgen receptor; Anti-androgens sensitivity; Prognostic role; Prostate cancer; Splice variant; Taxane sensitivity.