in this publication out today in Nature Communications, VAR2 Pharma co-authors describe how oncofetal chondroitin sulfate is regulated in prostate cancer. The study reports that oncofetal CS is regulated (repressed) by the androgen receptor (AR). When prostate cancer progresses into aggressive AR-independent disease states, these tumors up-regulate oncofetal CS in the tumor via an enzyme called CHST11 to facilitate tumor cell growth and survival.

This work informs that prostate cancer patients with castration-resistant and AR-independent disease, are likely to benefit from VAR2 Pharma therapeutics targeting oncofetal chondroitin sulfate, currently in pre-clinical development.
 
Read more:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32530-7