Tumor Inhibition by Enzalutamide in a Xenograft Model of Ovarian Cancer

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To investigate the tumor-suppressive properties of enzalutamide in androgen-driven ovarian cancer. Methods: Mice were implanted subcutaneously with OVCAR-3 cells and treated with dihydrotestosterone in combination with enzalutamide or vehicle control. Tumor volumes were measured twice weekly until day 56. Results: Dihydrotestosterone exposure led to a significant increase in tumor growth, while concomitant treatment with enzalutamide led to significant reductions in tumor volume compared to the androgen-exposed groups. Conclusions: We present the first evidence that the second-generation anti-androgen enzalutamide may possess efficacy in the treatment of ovarian cancer, paving the way for the future clinical trials.

KEYWORDS:

• Enzalutamide
• androgen receptor
• epithelial ovarian cancer
• OVCAR-3
• xenograft

Declaration of interest

Carol Aghajanian declares: consultation or advisory role, Astra Zeneca; travel, accommodations, and expenses, Astra Zeneca and Abb Vie. All other authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

This study was funded in part through the NIH/NCI support grant P30 CA008748.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Esa R. Korpi for his advice and assistance with the manuscript.