Aberrant activation of arachidonic acid and eicosanoid pathways-targets for treating prostate cancer

Eicosanoids have been the major therapeutic targets in rheumatoid arthritis and other degenerative diseases where inflammation is involved. In the past decade, the biological significance of eicosanoids and their potential as therapeutic targets in cancer have also been recognized and is now a focal area of research in many laboratories. Recently, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), the enzyme responsible for arachidonic acid supply to eicosanoid-producing enzymes has attracted attention. It has been proposed that PLA2 inhibition can yield a better therapeutic outcome than inhibition of individual eicosanoid-producing enzymes. In this article, we focus on the rationale for targeting arachidonic acideicosanoid pathways as well as evaluate the recent patents that identify inhibitors of the PLA2 family of enzymes.