Abstract 1251: Dithiocarb-copper complex, CuET, demonstrates anti-neoplastic activity in mouse model of prostate cancer and prevents recurrence of tumors

INTRODUCTION Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in the North-American man. It was responsible for about 192,000 new cases and 33,000 deaths in the USA in 2020. Surgical resection and systemic androgen deprivation therapy are standard approaches to treat both localized and metastatic PCa (mPCa). The five-year survival from prostate cancer (PCa) without bone metastasis is 56% versus 3% with metastasis There is no cure for the metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) which often spreads to the hip, spine, and pelvis bones. Therefore, new approaches and combination therapy need to be developed to improve patients's survival. Disulfiram's anti-cancer activity was previously explored and its metabolite ditiocarb-copper complex (CuET) was found to have high anti-cancer activity. The mechanism of action of CuET involves NPL4 aggregation and activation of ER stress, leading to preferential apoptosis of cancer cells. Since altered protein degradation is targeted by CuET, it might display high efficacy in highly mutated PCa. Consequently, we want to propose CuET for the treatment of mPCa. METHODS Survival curve and colony-formation assays in murine dKO cell line harboring PTEN and Rb driver mutations as well as in the human metastatic PC3 cell line, were performed. Anti-metastatic effect of CuET in vitro was assessed through Boyden chamber. In vivo efficacy of systemic treatment with CuET, was studied in dKO model of C57BL/6 mice. RESULTS Our results demonstrate that CuET displays cytotoxicity in dKO and PC3 cells at very low concentrations with respective IC50 of 46.2nM and 90.5nM. In vitro, CuET significantly reduced both the clonogenicity and migration ability of cells. In vivo, systemic treatment with CuET significantly reduced growth of dKO tumor and prevented recurrence of tumors. CONCLUSION Given these positive pre-clinical results, CuET should be investigated for its antineoplastic activity in clinical setting as an adjuvant therapy for mPCa. Citation Format: Daciana Catalina Dumut, Juan B. DeSanctis, Martin Mistrik, Zdenek Skrott, Petr Dzubak, Jiri Bartek, Marian Hajduch, Danuta Radzioch. Dithiocarb-copper complex, CuET, demonstrates anti-neoplastic activity in mouse model of prostate cancer and prevents recurrence of tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1251.