Identification of an anaplastic subtype of prostate cancer amenable to therapies targeting SP1 or translation elongation

Abstract

Histopathological heterogeneity is a hallmark of prostate cancer (PCa). Using spatial and parallel single-nucleus transcriptomics, we report an androgen receptor (AR)–positive but neuroendocrine-null primary PCa subtype with morphologic and molecular characteristics of small cell carcinoma. Such small cell–like PCa (SCLPC) is clinically aggressive with low AR, but high stemness and proliferation, activity. Molecular characterization prioritizes protein translation, represented by up-regulation of many ribosomal protein genes, and SP1, a transcriptional factor that drives SCLPC phenotype and overexpresses in castration-resistant PCa (CRPC), as two potential therapeutic targets in AR-indifferent CRPC. An SP1-specific inhibitor, plicamycin, effectively suppresses CRPC growth in vivo. Homoharringtonine, a Food And Drug Administration–approved translation elongation inhibitor, impedes CRPC progression in preclinical models and patients with CRPC. We construct an SCLPC-specific signature capable of stratifying patients for drug selectivity. Our studies reveal the existence of SCLPC in admixed PCa pathology, which may mediate tumor relapse, and establish SP1 and translation elongation as actionable therapeutic targets for CRPC.