Will GnRH antagonists improve prostate cancer treatment?
Androgen ablation forms a basis for treating prostate cancer and is achieved either by surgical castration, or pharmacologically using oestrogens, anti-androgens and/or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. GnRH antagonists (or blockers) offer a new means of treatment by directly blocking GnRH receptors. Advantages of GnRH antagonists include lack of the initial stimulation of gonadotropin and testosterone production, lack of gonadotropin microsurges and sustained follicle-stimulating hormone suppression; disadvantages include increased histamine release. This review discusses advantages and disadvantages of the GnRH antagonists currently in development, in light of receptor physiology and pre-clinical and clinical data. Comparative clinical trials will ultimately establish their efficacy in comparison to other pharmacotherapies. Therefore, continuing development and refinement is needed to improve prostate cancer treatment.
Huhtaniemi
Ilpo
I
Department of Reproductive Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK. ilpo.huhtaniemi@imperial.ac.uk
White
Richard
R
McArdle
Craig A
CA
Persson
Bo-Eric
BE
D000818:Animals; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015195:Drug Design; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D009842:Oligopeptides; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C423508:abarelix