Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is used to treat prostate cancer by lowering testosterone, which the cancer needs to grow. However, research from Augusta University in Georgia has found that removing androgen, a key regulator of amyloid metabolism, can lead to increased amyloid plaques, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
What Did the Study Find?
Researchers studied the relationship between Alzheimer’s and cancer using animal models. They gave ADT to some animals for eight weeks, monitoring androgen levels, tumor size, and changes in blood markers.
They also created different groups of animals: one group without Alzheimer’s or cancer, one with Alzheimer’s only, and one with cancer only, which received ADT. While they didn’t find major differences in plaque levels at the end of eight weeks, they did find increased activity in glial cells, which are part of the central nervous system, in the cancer-only and ADT-treated groups.
Key Findings
- The study found increased inflammation in the brain and higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that trigger inflammation) in animals with Alzheimer’s and cancer treated with ADT.
- The blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain, was damaged in these animals. ADT made this barrier more permeable, leading to higher inflammation.
- Combining ADT with another drug, Natalizumab (used for multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease), helped reduce inflammation, improve the blood-brain barrier, and enhance cognitive functions in the animals.
Implications
The research suggests that ADT might increase the risk of Alzheimer’s by promoting inflammation and damaging the blood-brain barrier. The study calls for clinical trials in prostate cancer patients undergoing ADT to further explore this connection.
