Prostate cancer is driven by stimulation of the androgen receptor (AR) with testosterone and the potent metabolite 5α-dihydrotestosterone; therefore, androgen deprivation, via medical or surgical castration, is the standard treatment for disease. Unfortunately, extragonadal androgen production often increases in response to castration. In particular, patients with a 1245A>C variant of HSD3B1, which encodes 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1(3βHSD1), exhibit rapid development of castration resistance. In this episode, Nima Sharifi and colleagues evaluated the effect of the HSD3B1(1245C) variant on metabolism of abiraterone, a drug used to block extragonadal androgens. Compared to those with HSD3B1(1245A), those with the mutation had increased levels of the metabolite 3-keto-5α-abiraterone, which has androgenic activity. These results support further investigation into the clinical consequences of increased 3-keto-5α-abiraterone in patients harboring HSD3B1(1245C).
BACKGROUND. A common germline variant in HSD3B1(1245A>C) encodes for a hyperactive 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (3βHSD1) missense that increases metabolic flux from extragonadal precursor steroids to DHT synthesis in prostate cancer. Enabling of extragonadal DHT synthesis by HSD3B1(1245C) predicts for more rapid clinical resistance to castration and sensitivity to extragonadal androgen synthesis inhibition. HSD3B1(1245C) thus appears to define a subgroup of patients who benefit from blocking extragonadal androgens. However, abiraterone, which is administered to block extragonadal androgens, is a steroidal drug that is metabolized by 3βHSD1 to multiple steroidal metabolites, including 3-keto-5α-abiraterone, which stimulates the androgen receptor. Our objective was to determine if HSD3B1(1245C) inheritance is associated with increased 3-keto-5α-abiraterone synthesis in patients. METHODS. First, we characterized the pharmacokinetics of 7 steroidal abiraterone metabolites in 15 healthy volunteers. Second, we determined the association between serum 3-keto-5α-abiraterone levels and HSD3B1 genotype in 30 patients treated with abiraterone acetate (AA) after correcting for the determined pharmacokinetics. RESULTS. Patients who inherit 0, 1, and 2 copies of HSD3B1(1245C) have a stepwise increase in normalized 3-keto-5α-abiraterone (0.04 ng/ml, 2.60 ng/ml, and 2.70 ng/ml, respectively; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION. Increased generation of 3-keto-5α-abiraterone in patients with HSD3B1(1245C) might partially negate abiraterone benefits in these patients who are otherwise more likely to benefit from CYP17A1 inhibition. FUNDING. Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Award, National Cancer Institute.
Mohammad Alyamani, Hamid Emamekhoo, Sunho Park, Jennifer Taylor, Nima Almassi, Sunil Upadhyay, Allison Tyler, Michael P. Berk, Bo Hu, Tae Hyun Hwang, William Douglas Figg, Cody J. Peer, Caly Chien, Vadim S. Koshkin, Prateek Mendiratta, Petros Grivas, Brian Rini, Jorge Garcia, Richard J. Auchus, Nima Sharifi