The outbreak of COVID-19 which is declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) has seriously affected the lives of hundreds and thousands of people around the world. As of Jan 19, 2021, there are nearly 96 million active COVID-19 cases worldwide with nearly 2 million deaths of which 400,000 deaths are recorded alone in the United States and the number keeps adding day by day. Prostate cancer (PCa) on the other hand is one of the most common cancers among US men. According to the American Cancer Society, it has been observed that nearly one in every nine men is diagnosed with PCa. The virus with the help of two important receptors namely transmembrane serine protease receptor (TMPRSS2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) enters the cell and replicates its progeny. It is observed that SARS-CoV-2 infected a greater number of males than females. Recent reports from a cohort study in Italy have revealed the fact that out of 9280 positive COVID-19 patients, the majority was in the masculine population but the rates of infection of the SARS-CoV-2 is comparatively less in men who are receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Researchers from Cleveland clinic predict that since both PCa and COVID-19 uses the same receptor, there can be an existence of a crosstalk between these two diseases. It has also been observed that prostate cancer patients who are on ADT are less prone to infection as compared to other types of cancer patients. This relationship between ADT and low rate of infection has paved the way for the discovery of such targeting strategies that not only aim in abating prostate cancer but also work as a preventative measure to lower the risk of coronavirus infection. We in our lab have designed a cisplatin prodrug that has shown great toxicity on PCa cells and also has the ability to reduce the expression of androgen regulated TMPRSS2 protein. But PCa becomes most aggressive when it is in its androgen-independent subtype and fails to respond to ADT making such cases more vulnerable to the infection. We in our lab have designed a cisplatin prodrug that has the ability to reduce not only the progression of both androgen-dependent and independent PCa but also lessen the risk the effect of infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Double action of cisplatin prodrug against prostate cancer and COVID-19

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.