STAT3 as a target for sensitizing prostate cancer cells to irradiation

Radioresistance of prostate cancer (PCa) is a major factor leading to local failure of radiotherapy. STAT3 is an oncogenic protein that was recently found to be activated in PCa tumors. This study aimed to investigate the radiosensitization effect of targeting STAT3 in PCa tumors. Here, the radiosensitization effect of STAT3 blockade was investigated by clonogenic assay, flow cytometry and western blot analysis in human PCa cells in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that STAT3 blockade with a STAT3 inhibitor or siRNA increased the radiosensitivity of PCa cells and that radiation together with STAT3 blockade induced more apoptosis and double-strand breaks (DSBs) than radiation alone in LNCaP cells. In addition, radiation induced STAT3 activation and survivin expression in PCa cells, which was inhibited by STAT3 blockade. Transfection with survivin cDNA attenuated the radiosensitization effect of STAT3 blockade. These effects were further confirmed by in vivo studies, which showed that the STAT3 inhibitor enhanced the treatment efficacy of radiation on LNCaP xenografts with decreased STAT3 activation and survivin expression. These findings suggest that STAT3 blockade radiosensitizes PCa cells through regulation of survivin. Thus, our study has revealed STAT3 as a potential sensitizer for irradiation in PCa cells. Its clinical application as an adjuvant in radiotherapy of PCa should be explored in the future.