Abstract A063: Preclinical evaluation of an arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) antagonist in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Zhao Ning , Peacock Stephanie , Lo Chen Hao , Heidman Laine , Magani Fiorella , Rice Meghan , Greene Ann , Zhang Yushan , Daaka Yehia , Lynch Conor , Burnstein Kerry 
Published: February 2019

Background: Advanced prostate cancer is treated by androgen deprivation, but despite initial responses most tumors inevitably recur. The recurrent disease is termed castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and is characterized by active androgen receptor (AR) signaling despite decreased androgen levels. AR activity in CRPC occurs through a variety of mechanisms including upregulation of AR coactivators, such as Vav3, and expression of constitutively active AR variants, which lack the ligand binding domain and are linked to poor prognosis. We previously demonstrated that PC cells are growth inhibited by depletion of either Vav3 or the clinically prevalent AR variant, AR-V7 (1). Gene expression profiling in CRPC cells revealed that arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) was significantly reduced by depletion of either Vav3 or AR-V7. AVPR1a is a G protein-coupled receptor that has not been previously linked to PC. Analysis of publicly available datasets showed that the AVPR1a gene exhibits a significant increase in copy number in human CRPC specimens and AVPR1a mRNA is upregulated in aggressive PC (2-4).

Methods: To explore the role of AVPR1a in PC cells, we selectively depleted AVPR1a in a panel of prostate cancer and prostate epithelial cell lines and examined cell survival and proliferation in culture and soft agar, as well as cell migration and invasion. Conversely, we overexpressed AVPR1a in an androgen-dependent PC cell line, LNCaP, and examined growth in vitro and in vivo in androgen-depleted conditions. We investigated AVPR1a antagonism in two distinct in vivo models of CRPC progression and growth using an effective and safe-in-humans AVPR1a antagonist, relcovaptan.

Results: We showed that depletion of AVPR1a greatly inhibited the proliferation of multiple CRPC cell lines but had less to no effect on androgen-dependent PC cells or nontumorigenic prostate epithelial cells. Depletion of AVPR1a also decreased CRPC cell anchorage-independent growth. Conversely, overexpression of AVPR1a in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells conferred castration resistance in vitro and in vivo. Similar to depletion of AVPR1a, treatment of PC cells with the AVPR1a antagonist relcovaptan decreased CRPC anchorage-independent growth. AVPR1a depletion or antagonism was also effective at decreasing CRPC metastatic properties: migration and invasion. In a preclinical xenograft model of progression to castration resistance, we found that relcovaptan halted tumor growth and stabilized circulating levels of a clinical tumor progression marker, prostate specific antigen (PSA). We evaluated relcovaptan efficacy on end-stage metastatic CRPC growth. C4-2B CRPC cells were injected into the tibias of castrated mice to model tumor growth and bone remodeling. Relcovaptan significantly inhibited tumor growth and prevented cancer cell-induced bone remodeling.

Conclusion: AVPR1a is a promising new therapeutic target against CRPC. We propose that AVPR1a antagonists may be repurposed for PC therapy.

References:

1. Peacock SO, et al. Mol Endocrinol 2012;12:1967-79.

2. Chandran UR, et al. BMC Cancer 2007;7:64.

3. Tamura K, et al. BMC Cancer 2007;67:5117-25.

4. Beltran H, et al. Nat Med 2016;22;298-305.

Citation Format: Ning Zhao, Stephanie Peacock, Chen Hao Lo, Laine Heidman, Fiorella Magani, Meghan Rice, Ann Greene, Yushan Zhang, Yehia Daaka, Conor Lynch, Kerry Burnstein. Preclinical evaluation of an arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) antagonist in castration-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr A063.