Activated Polyamine Catabolism Depletes Acetyl-CoA Pools and Suppresses Prostate Tumor Growth in TRAMP Mice

The study explored the impact of overexpressing spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) on prostate tumor growth in TRAMP mice, a model for prostate cancer. By cross-breeding TRAMP mice with SSAT-overexpressing mice, researchers observed a significant reduction in tumor size and progression, with genitourinary tract weights in TRAMP/SSAT mice being much smaller than in TRAMP mice at both 30 and 36 weeks. This tumor suppression was linked to increased polyamine catabolism, leading to a depletion of acetyl-CoA and S-adenosylmethionine, crucial for tumor growth. The findings suggested that targeting polyamine metabolism through SSAT overexpression could be a promising therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer, potentially enhancing the efficacy of existing anticancer agents.