The androgen receptor transcriptional program in castration-resistant prostate cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is central to the initiation and progression of prostate cancer, even after castration. Its transcriptional activity has previously been studied in cell lines. A group at the University of Cambridge recently outlined the AR transcriptional program in tissue samples, with an emphasis on castration-resistant tumors. AR binding sites, gene-expression changes (in xenografts), and potential transcription factor interactions were notably different from those observed in cultured cells. These discrepancies suggest a distinct signaling network for the AR in vivo and serve as a reminder that results from in vitro models should be checked against clinical realities.