Exposure of environmental trace elements in prostate cancer patients: A multiple metal analysis.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men. To elucidate the connection between trace elements (arsenic: As, cadmium: Cd, lead: Pb, chromium: Cr, and nickel: Ni) and the risk of PCa, we analyzed trace element levels in the serum, urine, and tissues of PCa patients, while also examining their smoking status. We correlated these levels with their smoking habits. Notably, levels of Cd (P ≤ 0.05) and As (P ≤ 0.01) were significantly higher in the tumor tissue than in adjacent tissues. No significant differences were observed in the levels of Pb, Cr and Ni. Additionally, urinary Cd levels in 70% and arsenic levels in 2.3% of the PCa cohort were markedly higher than the CDC-reported cutoff (Cd ≤ 0.185 µg/L & As ≤100 µg/L). None displayed elevated levels of urinary Pb, Cr, and Ni. Conversely, in serum samples, the concentration of arsenic exceeded the CDC-determined limit (As ≤1.0 µg/L) in 31.69% of PCa patients. However, only 7.04% of patients had higher serum Cd levels than the CDC standard values (Cd ≤ 0.315 µg/L), while all PCa patients exceeded the Cr CDC limit (Cr ≤ 0.16 µg/L) and the Ni CDC limit (Ni ≤ 0.2 µg/L). On the contrary, no significant differences were observed in serum Pb (Pb ≤ 35.0 µg/L). Our findings establish a positive link between Cd and arsenic tissue concentrations and the risk of PCa. Subsequent studies are essential to determine whether elevated trace element levels pose a risk for the development of prostate carcinogenesis. Interestingly, among the PCa cohort comprising smokers, notably higher Cd levels were observed only in tumor tissues (P ≤ 0.01) and urine (P ≤ 0.05) compared to other elements or in other specimens.

The role of autophagy in metal-induced urogenital carcinogenesis.

Environmental and/or occupational exposure to metals such as Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), and Chromium (Cr) have been shown to induce carcinogenesis in various organs, including the urogenital system. However, the mechanisms responsible for metal-induced carcinogenesis remain elusive. We and others have shown that metals are potent inducers of autophagy, which has been suggested to be an adaptive stress response to allow metal-exposed cells to survive in hostile environments. Albeit few, recent experimental studies have shown that As and Cd promote tumorigenesis via autophagy and that inhibition of autophagic signaling suppressed metal-induced carcinogenesis. In light of the newly emerging role of autophagic involvement in metal-induced carcinogenesis, the present review focuses explicitly on the mechanistic role of autophagy and potential signaling pathways involved in As-, Cd-, and Cr-induced urogenital carcinogenesis.

Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Therapeutic Evaluation of Naturally Occurring and Synthetic Withanolides.

Natural products are a major source of biologically active compounds that make promising lead molecules for developing efficacious drug-like molecules. Natural withanolides are found in many flora and fauna, including plants, algae, and corals, that traditionally have shown multiple health benefits and are known for their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-leishmaniasis, and many other medicinal properties. Structures of these withanolides possess a few reactive sites that can be exploited to design and synthesize more potent and safe analogs. In this review, we discuss the literature evidence related to the medicinal implications, particularly anticancer properties of natural withanolides and their synthetic analogs, and provide perspectives on the translational potential of these promising compounds.

Profiling of differentially expressed genes in cadmium-induced prostate carcinogenesis.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic signatures of cadmium-transformed prostate epithelial (CTPE) cells and to identify the potential molecular signaling involved in their malignant transformation. The dataset contained normal prostate epithelial (RWPE-1) and CTPE cells. To further examine the biological functions of the identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Reactome pathway enrichment analyses were performed. In total, 2357 DEGs were identified, including 1083 upregulated genes and 1274 downregulated genes. GO, KEGG, and Reactome pathway enrichment analyses indicated that upregulated genes were significantly enriched in ECM-receptor, focal adhesion, TGFß signaling, and syndecan interactions, while downregulated genes were mainly involved in cell cycle regulation, arachidonic acid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and folate biosynthesis (p < .05). The top upregulated (SATB1 (p < .0001), EYA2 (p < .0001) and KPNA7 (p < .0027)) and downregulated (PITX2 (p < .0007), PDLIM4 (p < .0020) and FABP5 (p < .0007)) genes were further validated via qRT-PCR analysis. In conclusion, the present study profiled DEGs in RWPE-1 and CTPE cells and identified gene pathways that may be associated with malignant transformation and tumor progression.

Induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress might be responsible for defective autophagy in cadmium-induced prostate carcinogenesis.

Earlier, we reported that chronic cadmium (Cd)-exposure to prostate epithelial (RWPE-1) cells causes defective autophagy, which leads to the transformation of a malignant phenotype in both in vitro and in vivo models. However, the upstream events responsible for defective autophagy are yet to be delineated. The present study suggests that chronic Cd exposure induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress that triggers the phosphorylation of stress transducers [protein kinase R-like ER Kinase- (PERK), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2-alpha- (eIF2-α) and Activating Transcription Factor 4 -(ATF-4)], resulting in defective autophagy that protects Cd-exposed RWPE-1 cells. On the other hand, inhibition of the ATF4 stress inducer by siRNA blocked the Cd-induced defective autophagy in transforming cells. While dissecting the upstream activators of ER stress, we found that increased expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is responsible for ER stress in Cd-exposed RWPE-1 cells. Overexpression of antioxidants (SOD1/SOD2) mitigates Cd-induced ROS that results in inhibition of ER stress and autophagy in prostate epithelial cells. These results suggest that the induction of ROS and subsequent ER stress are responsible for defective autophagy in Cd-induced transformation in prostate epithelial cells.

The chemopreventive effect of withaferin A on spontaneous and inflammation-associated colon carcinogenesis models.

Chemopreventive effects and associated mechanisms of withaferin A (WA) against intestinal and colon carcinogenesis remain unknown. We investigated the chemopreventive effect of WA on transgenic adenomatous polyposis coli (APCMin/+) mouse and chemically induced azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS) models of intestinal and colon carcinogenesis. Oral WA administration (4 and 3 mg/kg) inhibited tumor initiation and progression of intestinal polyps formation in APCMin/+ mice and colon carcinogenesis in the AOM/DSS mouse model. WA-administered mice showed a significant reduction in both number [duodenum, 33% (P > 0.05); jejunum, 32% (P < 0.025); ileum, 43% ( P < 0.001); and colon 59% (P < 0.01] and size of polyps in APCMin/+ mice compared with the respective controls. Similarly, tumor multiplicity was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the colon of WA-administered AOM/DSS mice. Pathological analysis showed reduced adenomas and tissue inflammation in WA-administered mouse models. Molecular studies suggested that WA inhibited the expression of inflammatory (interluekin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cyclooxygenase-2), pro-survival (pAKT, Notch1 and NF-κB) markers in APCMin/+ and AOM/DSS models. The results suggest that WA is a potent agent for preventing colon carcinogenesis and further investigation is required to show clinical utility of the agent.

Fenofibrate inhibits mTOR-p70S6K signaling and simultaneously induces cell death in human prostate cancer cells.

Fenofibrate is the most widely used lipid-lowering drug, but it seems to have anti-tumor effects in several tumor cell lines. However, there are only a few reports on its effects on human prostate cancer cells. Thus, we investigated the anti-proliferative effects of fenofibrate on human prostate cancer cells and potential mechanisms. The methods used include cell viability analysis with an MTT assay, as well as apoptosis and related signaling pathway analyses with flow cytometry and Western blotting. Fenofibrate inhibited PC-3 cell growth in dose- and time-dependent manners. The fenofibrate-induced cell death is predominantly apoptotic death that is mediated by both the caspase-3 activation and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) signaling pathways. Fenofibrate also increased the expression of Bad and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Survivin. Mechanistically, fenofibrate-induced cell death was associated with decreased p-p70S6K and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation levels. When further exploring the upstream mediators of mTOR/p70S6K, we found that fenofibrate increased p38 MAPK and AMPK phosphorylation but did not significantly change the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, and JNK. However, the inhibition of either p38 MAPK or AMPK with their specific inhibitor did not change the effect of fenofibrate-induced cell death. These findings suggested that fenofibrate indeed significantly inhibited the proliferation of PC-3 cells via apoptotic action, which is associated with the inactivation of the mTOR/p70S6K-dependent cell survival pathway. Although the mechanisms by which fenofibrate inactivates this pathway remains unclear, this study reveals great potential for its use for the clinical treatment of prostate cancers.

A natural molecule, urolithin A, downregulates androgen receptor activation and suppresses growth of prostate cancer.

Androgen ablation therapy is the primary therapeutic option for locally advanced and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). We investigated therapeutic effect of a dietary metabolite Urolithin A (UroA) and dissected the molecular mechanism in CRPC cells. Treatment with UroA inhibited cell proliferation in both androgen receptor-positive (AR+ ) (C4-2B) and androgen receptor-negative (AR- ) (PC-3) cells however, AR+ CaP cells were more sensitive to UroA treatment as compared with AR- CaP cells. Inhibition of the AR signaling was responsible for the UroA effect on AR+ CaP cells. Ectopic expression of AR in PC-3 cells sensitized them to UroA treatment as compared to the vector-expresseing PC-3 cells, which suggests that AR could be a target of UroA. Similarly, in enzalutamide-resistant C4-2B cells, a downregulation of AR expression also suppressed cell proliferation which was observed with the UroA treatment. Oral administration of UroA significantly suppressed the growth of C4-2B xenografts (P = 0.05) compared with PC-3 xenografts (P = 0.069) without causing toxicity to animals. Immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed in vitro findings such as downregulation of AR/pAKT signaling in UroA-treated C4-2B tumors, which suggests that UroA may be a potent chemo-preventive and therapeutic agent for CRPC.

Inhibition of autophagy prevents cadmium-induced prostate carcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Cadmium, an established carcinogen, is a risk factor for prostate cancer. Induction of autophagy is a prerequisite for cadmium-induced transformation and metastasis. The ability of Psoralidin (Pso), a non-toxic, orally bioavailable compound to inhibit cadmium-induced autophagy to prevent prostate cancer was investigated. METHODS: Psoralidin was studied using cadmium-transformed prostate epithelial cells (CTPE), which exhibit high proliferative, invasive and colony forming abilities. Gene and protein expression were evaluated by qPCR, western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Xenograft models were used to study the chemopreventive effects in vivo. RESULTS: Cadmium-transformed prostate epithelial cells were treated with Pso resulting in growth inhibition, without causing toxicity to normal prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1). Psoralidin-treatment of CTPE cells inhibited the expression of Placenta Specific 8, a lysosomal protein essential for autophagosome and autolysosome fusion, which resulted in growth inhibition. Additionally, Pso treatment caused decreased expression of pro-survival signalling proteins, NFκB and Bcl2, and increased expression of apoptotic genes. In vivo, Pso effectively suppressed CTPE xenografts growth, without any observable toxicity. Tumours from Pso-treated animals showed decreased autophagic morphology, mesenchymal markers expression and increased epithelial protein expression. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm that inhibition of autophagy by Pso plays an important role in the chemoprevention of cadmium-induced prostate carcinogenesis.

Targeting aberrant expression of Notch-1 in ALDH+ cancer stem cells in breast cancer.

We have previously reported that high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzyme activity in breast cancer cells results in breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) properties by upregualting Notch-1 and epithelial mesenchymal markers. This results in chemoresistance in breast cancer. Here, we examined the functional and clinical significance of ALDH expression by measuring the ALDH levels in breast cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry. There was a significantly higher ALDH expression in higher grade breast cancer tumor tissues (Grade- II and III) versus normal breast tissues. Injection of BCSC (ALDH+ and CD44+ /CD22- ) cells resulted in aggressive tumor growth in athymic mice versus ALDH- cells. The ALDH+ and CD44+ /CD22- tumors grow rapidly and are larger than ALDH- tumors which were slow growing and smaller. Molecularly, ALDH+ tumors expressed higher expression of Notch-1 and EMT markers than ALDH- tumors. Oral administration of the naturally occurring Psoralidin (Pso, 25 mg/kg of body weight) significantly inhibited the growth in ALDH+ and ALDH- tumors as well. Psoralidin inhibited Notch-1 mediated EMT activation in ALDH+ and ALDH- tumors-this confirms our in vitro findings. Our results suggest that Notch-1 could be an attractive target and inhibition of Notch-1 by Psoralidin may prevent pathogenesis of breast cancer as well as metastasis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis of Psoralidin derivatives and their anticancer activity: First synthesis of Lespeflorin I1.

Synthetic scheme for the preparation of a number of different derivatives of anticancer natural product Psoralidin is described. A convergent synthetic approach is followed using simple starting materials like substituted phenyl acetic esters and benzoic acids. The developed synthetic route leads us to complete the first synthesis of an analogous natural product Lespeflorin I1, a mild melanin synthesis inhibitor. Preliminary bioactivity studies of the synthesized compounds are carried out against two commonly used prostate cancer cell lines. Results show that the bioactivity of the compounds can be manipulated by the simple modification of the functional groups.

Induction of reactive oxygen species generation inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes growth arrest in prostate cancer cells.

Oxidative stress is one causative factor of the pathogenesis and aggressiveness of most of the cancer types, including prostate cancer (CaP). A moderate increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) induces cell proliferation whereas excessive amounts of ROS promote apoptosis. In this study, we explored the pro-oxidant property of 3,9-dihydroxy-2-prenylcoumestan (psoralidin [pso]), a dietary agent, on CaP (PC-3 and C4-2B) cells. Pso greatly induced ROS generation (more than 20-fold) that resulted in the growth inhibition of CaP cells. Overexpression of anti-oxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), SOD2, and catalase, or pretreatment with the pharmacological inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly attenuated both pso-mediated ROS generation and pso-mediated growth inhibition in CaP cells. Furthermore, pso administration significantly inhibited the migratory and invasive property of CaP cells by decreasing the transcription of ß-catenin, and slug, which promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and by concurrently inducing E-cadherin expression in CaP cells. Pso-induced ROS generation in CaP cells resulted in loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome-c release, and activation of caspase-3 and -9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), which led to apoptosis. On the other hand, overexpression of anti-oxidants rescued pso-mediated effects on CaP cells. These findings suggest that increasing the threshold of intracellular ROS could prevent or treat CaP growth and metastasis.

Activation of AKT signaling promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor growth in colorectal cancer cells.

Activation of the serine-threonine protein kinase AKT has emerged as a central feature of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is the initial step for metastasis in many cancer models, including colorectal cancer. The focus of our study was to dissect the role of AKT and its molecular regulation of EMT in colorectal cancer. HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells stably overexpressing AKT (AKT/HCT-116) showed significantly higher cell proliferation compared with vector-transfected cells (pCMV/HCT-116). Elevated expression of important EMT-related transcription factors and genes such as Snail, Slug, ß-catenin, vimentin, and MMP-9 correlated with increased migration and invasion by AKT/HCT-116 cells. Further, in vivo studies confirmed that AKT/HCT-116 xenografts were highly aggressive and angiogenic in nature compared with pCMV/HCT-116 xenografts. Molecular analysis of tumor samples revealed transcriptional regulation of Snail, Slug, ß-catenin, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in AKT/HCT-116 tumors. These results were supported by immunohistochemistry analysis. Low levels of E-cadherin expression with a concomitant increase in and nuclear localization of ß-catenin were evident in AKT/HCT-116 tumors compared with control tumors. Increased microvessel formation coincident with high expression of Factor VIII and increased numbers of reticulocytes confirmed the angiogenic property of AKT/HCT-116 tumors. Our results confirm the potential role of AKT signaling in regulating EMT and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer and suggest that inhibition of AKT can serve as an important therapeutic strategy in modulating EMT in colorectal cancer growth and metastasis.

Corrigendum: A small molecule inhibitor of Notch1 modulates stemness and suppresses breast cancer cell growth.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1150774.].

Withaferin A, a steroidal lactone from Withania somnifera, induces mitotic catastrophe and growth arrest in prostate cancer cells.

Cell cycle deregulation is strongly associated with the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Clinical trials of cell cycle regulators that target either the G0/G1 or G2/M phase to inhibit the growth of cancers including prostate cancer are increasing. The present study focused on the cell cycle regulatory potential of the withanolide withaferin A (1) on prostate cancer cells. Compound 1 induced G2/M arrest in both prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3 and DU-145) when treated for 48 h. The G2/M arrest was accompanied by upregulation of phosphorylated Wee-1, phosphorylated histone H3, p21, and Aurora B. On the other hand, downregulation of cyclins (A2, B1, and E2) and a reduction in phosphorylated Cdc2 (Tyr15) were observed in 1-treated prostate cancer cells. In addition, decreased levels of phosphorylated Chk1 (Ser345) and Chk2 (Thr68) were evident in prostate cancer cells on treatment with 1. These results suggest that activation of Cdc2 leads to arrest in the M phase, with abnormal duplication, and initiation of mitotic catastrophe that results in cell death. In conclusion, these results show clearly the potential of 1 as a regulator of the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and as a therapeutic agent for prostate cancer.

A small molecule inhibitor of Notch1 modulates stemness and suppresses breast cancer cell growth.

Although breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are well characterized, molecularly targeting and eradicating this sub-population remains a challenge in the clinic. Recent studies have explored several signaling pathways that govern stem cell activation: We and others established that the Notch1 signaling plays a significant role in the proliferation, survival, and differentiation of BCSCs. Earlier, we reported that a newly developed small molecule, ASR490, binds to the negative regulatory region (NRR: The activation switch of the Notch receptor) of Notch1. In vitro results demonstrated that ASR490 significantly inhibited BCSCs (ALDH+ and CD44+/CD24-) and breast cancer (BC) growth at nM concentrations, and subsequently inhibited the colony- and mammosphere-forming abilities of BCSCs and BCs. ASR490 downregulated the expressions of Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD: The active form of Notch1) and its downstream effectors Hey1 and HES1. Inhibition of Notch1-NICD facilitated autophagy-mediated growth inhibition by triggering the fusion of autophagosome and autolysosome in BCSCs. ASR490 was found to be non-toxic to healthy cells as compared to existing Notch1 inhibitors. Moreover, oral administration of ASR490 abrogated BCSC and BC tumor growth in the in vivo xenograft models. Together our results indicate that ASR490 is a potential therapeutic agent that inhibits BC tumor growth by targeting and abolishing Notch1 signaling in BCSCs and BC cells.

Corrigendum: A small molecule inhibitor of Notch1 modulates stemness and suppresses breast cancer cell growth.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1150774.].

Molecular interplay between NOX1 and autophagy in cadmium-induced prostate carcinogenesis.

Chronic exposure to cadmium (Cd), a class I carcinogen, leads to malignant transformation of normal prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1). The constant generation of Cd-induced ROS and resulting ER stress induces cellular responses that are needed for cell survival, and autophagy has an important role in this process. However, the mechanisms that regulate Cd-induced ROS and how these differ in terms of acute and chronic cadmium exposure remain unexplained. Here, we show that acute or chronic Cd exposure facilitates NOX1 assembly by activating its cytosolic regulators p47phox and p67phox in RWPE-1 cells. Upregulation of NOX1 complex proteins and generation of ROS activates unfolded protein response (UPR) via phosphorylation of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α), and selective translation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Chronic Cd exposure constantly activates NOX1 complex and generates consistent ROS and ER stress that led to defective autophagy, wherein ATG5 expression is downregulated in contrast to acute Cd exposure. As a result, selective/defective autophagy creates depletion of autophagosome-lysosome fusion that gives a survival advantage to transforming cells, which is not available to RWPE-1 cells acutely exposed to Cd. Knockdown of key molecules in a lockstep manner directly affects the most downstream autophagy pathways in transforming cells. Overall, this study demonstrates that assembly of NOX1 complex proteins is indispensable for Cd-induced persistent ROS and controls ER stress-induced defective autophagy in mice and humans.

Antiandrogen-Equipped Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Selectively Inhibit Androgen Receptor (AR) and AR-Splice Variant (AR-SV) in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC).

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic modification influences androgen receptor (AR) activation, often resulting in prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression. Silencing histone-modifying enzymes (histone deacetylases-HDACs) either genetically or pharmacologically suppresses PCa proliferation in preclinical models of PCa; however, results from clinical studies were not encouraging. Similarly, PCa patients eventually become resistant to androgen ablation therapy (ADT). Our goal is to develop dual-acting small molecules comprising antiandrogen and HDAC-inhibiting moieties that may overcome the resistance of ADT and effectively suppress the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). METHODS: Several rationally designed antiandrogen-equipped HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) were synthesized, and their efficacy on CRPC growth was examined both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: While screening our newly developed small molecules, we observed that SBI-46 significantly inhibited the proliferation of AR+ CRPC cells but not AR- CRPC and normal immortalized prostate epithelial cells (RWPE1) or normal kidney cells (HEK-293 and VERO). Molecular analysis confirmed that SBI-46 downregulated the expressions of both AR+ and AR-splice variants (AR-SVs) in CRPC cells. Further studies revealed the downregulation of AR downstream (PSA) events in CRPC cells. The oral administration of SBI-46 abrogated the growth of C4-2B and 22Rv1 CRPC xenograft tumors that express AR or both AR and AR-SV in xenotransplanted nude mice models. Further, immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that SBI-46 inhibits AR signaling in xenografted tumor tissues. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that SBI-46 is a potent agent that inhibits preclinical models of CRPC by downregulating the expressions of both AR and AR-SV. Furthermore, these results suggest that SBI-46 may be a potent compound for treating CRPC.

Urolithin A analog inhibits castration-resistant prostate cancer by targeting the androgen receptor and its variant, androgen receptor-variant 7.

We investigated the efficacy of a small molecule ASR-600, an analog of Urolithin A (Uro A), on blocking androgen receptor (AR) and its splice variant AR-variant 7 (AR-V7) signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). ASR-600 effectively suppressed the growth of AR+ CRPC cells by inhibiting AR and AR-V7 expressions; no effect was seen in AR- CRPC and normal prostate epithelial cells. Biomolecular interaction assays revealed ASR-600 binds to the N-terminal domain of AR, which was further confirmed by immunoblot and subcellular localization studies. Molecular studies suggested that ASR-600 promotes the ubiquitination of AR and AR-V7 resulting in the inhibition of AR signaling. Microsomal and plasma stability studies suggest that ASR-600 is stable, and its oral administration inhibits tumor growth in CRPC xenografted castrated and non-castrated mice. In conclusion, our data suggest that ASR-600 enhances AR ubiquitination in both AR+ and AR-V7 CRPC cells and inhibits their growth in vitro and in vivo models.