Drug research pivoted from prostate cancer to COVID-19 treatment

• Association of hormones that cause progressive prostate cancer with COVID pneumonia
• Severe pneumonia that develops rapidly kills patients with severe COVID-19 disease
• One drug under development targets pro-inflammatory hormones, another promotes anti-inflammatory
• One of the drugs is already used to control the inflammatory condition of the eye

Dr. Lisa Philp Awarded $ 150,000 Advance Queensland Fellowship to test her and the medicines she took Professor Colleen Nelson, The Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, QUT is developing to combat advanced prostate cancer that may prevent and / or treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

They and their research team Translational Research InstituteStudies on two hormones secreted by body fat that regulate tumor growth in prostate cancer may also play a role in causing rapidly developing severe pneumonia that kills patients with severe COVID-19 disease. I realized that there was.

Australian Prostate Cancer Research Center-Professor Nelson of Queensland said the research team is investigating two new drugs that target fat hormones. One is an pro-inflammatory hormone and the other is an anti-inflammatory hormone. Each is involved in the progression of prostate cancer.

“The data and knowledge of the COVID-19 study led us to the hypothesis that these drugs could be effective treatments for ARDS,” said Professor Nelson.

“We quickly set up a new collaboration between Princess Alexandra Hospital and ICU clinical scientists at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, bringing established industry partners into this new field of research, testing hypotheses, and making this research a principle. We have made it possible to translate it for demonstration. To treat COVID-19 patients as soon as possible. “

Dr. Philp (pictured) said the team was working with two US-based biotechnology companies to pursue drug research in Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with prostate cancer.

“Both of these drugs have very strong data that suppress tumor progression in advanced refractory prostate cancer and, importantly, inflammation,” said Dr. Philp.

“ARDS is a rapidly developing, life-threatening respiratory failure caused by infection and is the root cause of COVID-19-related death.

“Even before COVID, ARDS killed 3 million patients worldwide each year, putting a heavy burden on the hospital’s intensive care unit. ARDS usually leads to other conditions such as influenza or lung injury. It is related.

“Instead of a gradual immune response to infection, this response is overactivated by ARDS, causing an inflammatory” cytokine storm “that attacks healthy tissues, filling the lungs with fluid and causing rapid respiratory failure. Cause

“Currently, ARDS treatments include ventilators and antivirals, but the drugs we are investigating are fundamentally overwhelming by targeting the signaling hormones that cause them. Can deal with inflammatory reactions. “

Professor Nelson said that these hormones, which are released primarily by fat cells, were also altered by obesity.

Left: Prostate cancer tumor tissue showing increased vascular distribution that nourishes the tumor before treatment.

Right: Prostate cancer tumor tissue after treatment with anti-inflammatory agonists.

“But anti-androgens, which are essential in the treatment of prostate cancer, also cause changes in the levels of these two hormones with weight gain, so our team is working on effective treatments that target their effects. I focused on it, “she said.

“We know that obese people have high circulating levels of pro-inflammatory hormones and are therefore inflamed, and we also found that obese people are not doing COVID very well. ..

“This pro-inflammatory hormone is central to ARDS. It causes a large inflammatory response, so your own immune response actually attacks you, not the virus.

“We have worked with a North Carolina company to develop a very powerful drug that blocks the action of this pro-inflammatory hormone, which we believe can prevent and suppress cytokine storms,” ​​said Dr. Philp. -19 Conduct preclinical trials for use in treatment. “

Professor Nelson said the other drugs they are working on have anti-inflammatory effects that activate hormones and suppress the inflammatory response.

“Fortunately, the San Francisco company working on this drug has already used it in patients with inflammatory eye conditions and has proven to be safe for human use. In fact, the company is developing it for other diseases such as liver disease, “Nelson said.

“We have been working with this company in the context of prostate cancer and told them that when COVID occurs, it could be an excellent treatment for ARDS, the company demonstrates these principles. We are financially supporting us to pass preclinical trials. “

Professor Nelson said there are several other factors that need to be considered regarding the drugs used in COVID patients.

“One is whether to intervene early to prevent the syndrome from causing ARDS in people at risk,” she said.

“Understanding the role of these two hormones in cytokine storms will give us an idea of ​​who is at greatest risk: obesity and apparently altered levels of these important hormones, but to find out. Needs a blood test. For various biomarkers, prioritize treatment with other factors such as type 2 diabetes, age, and previous respiratory problems.

“We have worked closely with scientists from intensive care clinicians at Royal Brisbane Hospital, Women’s Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital to guide our research.”