Estrogen receptor β and treatment with a phytoestrogen are associated with inhibition of nuclear translocation of EGFR in the prostate

Knockout of ERβ in the mouse leads to nuclear expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the prostate. To examine whether ERβ plays a similar role in the human prostate, we used four cohorts of men: 1) a Swedish cohort of normal prostates and PCa (prostate cancer) of different Gleason grades; 2) men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with the 5α-reductase inhibitor, finasteride, and finasteride together with the ERβ agonists, soy isoflavones; 3) men with PCa above Gleason grade 4 (GG4), treated with ADT (androgen deprivation therapy) and abiraterone (AA), the blocker of androgen synthesis for different durations; and 4) men with GG4 PCa on ADT or ADT with the AR (androgen receptor) blocker, enzalutamide, for 4 mo to 6 mo. In men with BPH, finasteride treatment induced EGFR nuclear expression, but, when finasteride was combined with isoflavones, EGFR remained on the cell membrane. In GG4 patients, blocking of AR for 4 mo to 6 mo resulted in loss of ERβ and PTEN expression and increase in patients with nuclear EGFR from 10 to 40%. In the men with GG4 PCa, blocking of adrenal synthesis of testosterone for 2 mo to 7 mo had the beneficial effect of increasing ERβ expression, but, on treatment longer than 8 mo, ERβ was lost and EGFR moved to the nucleus. Since nuclear EGFR is a predictor of poor outcome in PCa, addition of ERβ agonists together with abiraterone should be considered as a treatment that might sustain expression of ERβ and offer some benefit to patients.