Chronic azacitidine treatment results in differentiating effects, sensitizes against bicalutamide in androgen‐independent prostate cancer cells

About 20–30% of hormone‐independent PCa are characterized by the extensive loss of AR expression that appears to occur at the transcriptional level. Treatment of AR‐negative PCa cells with demethylating agents (Aza‐CR) leads to expression of AR mRNA and protein. Here, we investigate the effect of Aza‐CR administered both acutely and chronically on AR expression, PSA expression, cell survival, and proliferation in androgen‐independent/AR‐negative PCa cells. We also studied whether epigenetically reactivated AR is a target for bicalutamide therapy.

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