Resumen
Early prostate cancer treatment with radiation therapy is effective but involves substantial harmful side effects throughout therapy. This study explores the use of the metabolic modulator lonidamine (LND) to sensitize prostate cancer cells to radiation therapy. 1H and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were used to non-invasively monitor metabolic changes associated with LND treatment in human prostate cancer tumors implanted in athymic nude mice. The in vivo MRS results were substantiated using classic biochemistry methods by gathering in vitro data from isolated human prostate cancer cell lines. A radiation growth delay experiment performed in xenografted mice combining LND and radiation therapy showed that LND-modified prostate cancer metabolism and significantly increased the efficacy of radiation therapy. These findings indicate that less radiation may be required with LND, reducing side effects, and potentially improving patient management in the clinic.