A new study led by Cleveland Clinic in the United States and published in Gamma Oncology, an oncology journal, showed that a mutation in the gene associated with testosterone is associated with an increased severity of metastatic prostate cancer and a shorter period of patient resilience before his death from disease.
This study, which is the first clinical test confirming the relationship between the HSD3B1 mutation and clinical results, indicates that genetic testing on the HSD3B1 gene (1245C) may help clinicians identify patients who may benefit from additional treatment that has a more severe effect on the disease.
The researchers found that the mutation or alteration of the gene HSD3B1 (1245C) is linked to a faster progression in treatment resistance in men with metastatic prostate cancer in small size, and a shorter period of patient resilience before his death from disease, regardless of the use of Dostetil. Interestingly, the researchers found, the mutation "accelerated" the occurrence of death despite the patient being given other treatments after the development of treatment resistance.
Dr. Sharifi, who was one of the leading researchers involved in the development of the study, considered that these results pave the way towards designing more effective personal treatments for prostate cancer, and he said: “Perhaps in light of these results, we will be able to develop personalized treatments that suit every man with the disease and carry this Genetic abnormality related to testosterone.
In contrast, the effect of the HSD3B1 (1245C) mutation was not found in the clinical outcomes of men with large-size prostate cancer, an issue that Dr. Sharifi saw as "normal", noting that previous studies showed that the development of the disease and the burden it left on the patient "differed significantly. According to the size of the cancer. "
Collectively, these results indicate the possibility of using this genetic mutation or its absence to identify men with metastatic prostate cancer that is small in size and more vulnerable to rapid progress in treatment resistance and the occurrence of early death, a discovery that has significant implications for clinical care and genetic counseling.
And Dr. Sharifi discovered in 2013 that the inherited mutation HSD3B1 (1245C) helps prostate cancer cells tackle androgen deprivation therapy, which is the first line of defense against disease. Androgen deprivation therapy is to prevent the testicle cells from supplying the androgen hormone, which the cancer cells feed on to grow and spread.
The prostate cancer researcher showed that cancer cells in men with a genetic mutation can adapt to the production of their androgens, which leads to disease resistance to treatment. In 2017, Dr. Sharifi received one of the "Top Ten Clinical Achievements" awards granted by the Clinical Research Forum, for his discoveries that linked the HSD3B1 gene mutation (1245C) with poor treatment outcomes for prostate cancer.