Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a first line treatment for men when prostate cancer has spread beyond the prostate. Men die from prostate cancer after their disease becomes castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Anti-androgen treatments such as Enzalutamide (Xtandi) have lengthened the life of thousands of advanced prostate cancer men around the world. Ultimately, even Xtandi fails to help because men will develop a resistence to Xtandi because, in part, of the presence of a  androgen-receptor splice variant 7 messenger RNA (Arv7).

Dr. Hari Koul studied the effects of TET, a derivative of bis-benzyly isoquinoline, Tetrandrine on two Xtandi resistant prostate cancer cell lines; to see if TET would increase responsiveness to Xtandi.

He showed that combining TET and Xtandi was more effective than either treatment alone. Over all TET alone and in combination with Xtandi promoted cell growth arrest and cell death in Xtandi resistant castraite resistant prostate cancer cells and sensitized these cells to Xtandi, in part by decreasing protein levels of AR and ARv7. So, if you are about to start Xtandi, ask your doctor about including TET.

MP57-02: TET, sensitizes CRPC cells to Enzalutamide by promoting cell death in part by decreasing levels of AR and ARv7 American Urological Association Annual Meeting May 2017