Overloading fats in prostate cancer cells is key to destroying them say researchers

The discovery by a team of SA scientists from SAHMRI, University of Adelaide and the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing could be fast-tracked as a treatment option.

Corresponding author and Cancer Council Beat Cancer Project Professor Lisa Butler says manipulating the amount of fat in cancer cells is the key to destroying them.

"These fats can either be taken up through our diet or be generated in the cancer cells themselves," she said.

"But the levels need to be carefully controlled by those cancer cells, as too much fat is toxic to them."

The studies recently published in Molecular Cancer Research and eLife have shown that depriving cells of the enzyme responsible for regulating the quantity of fat they need to survive causes them to overload and die.

"We found that cancer cells use the enzyme DECR1 to both generate more energy and protect the cells from death due to excess fat levels. Starving the cells of DECR1 killed them," Professor Butler said.

The process of overloading fat in cancer cells could be achieved in the human body with the help of drugs that are already available, meaning people living with prostate cancer wouldn't have to wait years for a new medication to be tested and approved before they can reap the benefits.

"Our work provides the ground-breaking opportunity to take drugs that are already being used for conditions such as angina and repurposing them for prostate cancer treatment to improve prognosis and quality of life," Professor Butler said.

Researchers have proven the effectiveness of this treatment method with successful tests on live tumours donated by Adelaide prostate cancer patients.

It's hoped clinical trials will soon be undertaken to approve the use of these drugs for the treatment of prostate cancer, to give patients a life changing tool that'll help them live longer, happier lives.

"This breakthrough might prove to be a crucial factor in slowing the mortality rate and giving patients a better chance of preventing relapse," Professor Butler said.

Prostate cancer currently accounts for 13 per cent of male cancer deaths in Australia, a statistic that's expected to rise dramatically in the coming years due to the country's ageing population.