Shiota M, Fujimoto N, Sekino Y, et al. - In prostate cancer, a collaborative impact of both germline and somatic alterations of HSD3B1 could promote castration resistance and HSD3B1 could serve as a promising biomarker for precision medicine.

• This study involved 194 patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen-deprivation therapy, as well as tissues from metastatic prostate cancer (121 and 73 patients were divided into low- and high-volume diseases respectively).

• In low volume, but not high-volume diseases, a significant link of adrenal-permissive genotype (AC/CC) with elevated risk of progression vs adrenal-restrictive genotype (AA) was revealed in the multivariate analysis.

• At least in two cases of castration-resistant prostate cancer tissues, the presence of somatic mutation in HSD3B1 was evident.

• Castration-resistant prostate cancer cells and tissues showed HSD3B1 amplification and overexpression.