Inventors have firstly demonstrated that the transcriptomic signature of PTENpc- / - LSCmed cells is enriched in human MSPC signature, associated to metastases and ADT resistance. Using scRNAseq specifically with sorted PTENpc- / - LSCmed cells, they identified three distinct LSCmed clusters and showed that
castration favors the emergence of the most stem-like LSCmed subpopulation by
cell plasticity. In the latter, they identified the
transcription factor FOSL1 / AP-1 and the
kinase PIM1 as relevant therapeutic targets, and they showed that combined inhibition using JQ1, a BET / AP-1 inhibitor, and CX-6258, a pan-PIM
kinase inhibitor, efficiently prevents PTENpc / - LSCmed
cell growth in organoids. These findings were confirmed in the
human prostate HPV10
cell line here identified as a robust model of Club /
Hillock cells. Combined
drug delivery to castrated
PTEN-null mice induced a significant
prostate weight decrease associated with the reduction of histopathological phenotypes and dramatically altered
organoid-formation capacity of LSCmed cells sorted from these tumors. Accordingly, the
drug combination significantly delayed
tumor growth of MSPC-like human PC-3 cells subcutaneously injected into castrated immunodeficient mice. Altogether, this work shows a new therapeutic potential of combined FOSL1 and PIM1 targeting to prevent, or at least
delay, the growth of MSPC-like cells. Accordingly, the invention relates to i) an inhibitor of FOSL1 and ii) an inhibitor of PIM1, as a combined preparation for use in the treatment of
prostate cancer in a subject in need thereof.