Taking aim at a challenging target in pre-clinical models of prostate cancer

Obesity has become a major health concern in the United States, leading to well-established increased risks for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Obesity also enhances the risk for several types of cancer (1). Abdominal obesity in particular has been associated with an increased risk for the development of prostate cancer (2), as well as clinically more aggressive disease (2,3). Patients that are obese at the time of diagnosis of multiple different types of cancer, including prostate cancer, demonstrate a higher incidence of chemotherapeutic resistance (1,4). While the majority of cancer therapeutics target the cancer cells, the microenvironment of the tumor has been recognized as a key contributor for cancer progression, metastasis, and development of drug resistance. As such, components of the tumor microenvironment have become an exciting area of investigation to reduce chemotherapy resistance.