A case of successful use of cytokinogenetic therapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer (observation from practice)

Background. For patients with localized prostate cancer, a personalized approach to treatment selection is advisable. This approach, in addition to surgery or hormonal therapy combined with radiation therapy, may include cytokinogenetic therapy.

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of using cytokinogenetic therapy in a patient with localized prostate cancer in combination with hormonal therapy.

Material and methods. Patient N., 65, presented to the clinic with a diagnosis of cT2bN0M0 prostate cancer. He underwent prostate biopsy on June 23, 2023, and had been receiving hormonal therapy since July 2023. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically after examination of the prostate biopsy specimen. His Gleason score was 6, G2, and his initial PSA was 7.189 ng/mL. Since July 2023, the patient has been receiving Eligard 45 mg subcutaneously every 6 months for antitumor treatment. Wishing to avoid complications from radiation therapy, the patient declined radiation and presented to the clinic in October 2024 for cytokine gene therapy. The patient's condition was monitored during treatment using Karnofsky performance status assessment, PSA and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, and contrastenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results. After 7 courses of cytokinogenetic therapy (CGT) combined with hormonal therapy, MRI showed complete regression of the prostate tumor. The PSA level was 0.12 ng/ml. The use of CGT was not associated with additional toxicity. The patient's overall survival since diagnosis is 29+ months, and since the start of CGT, 13+ months.

Conclusions. Cytokinogenetic therapy drugs likely have a synergistic effect with hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms of action and potential use of cytokinogenetic drugs in this patient population.

1. Startsev V. Yu., Shpot E. V., Karaev D. K., et al. Detection of prostate cancer in young and middle-aged men. Vestnik urologii. 2022; 10 (1): 110-120. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.21886/2308-64242022-10-1-110-120.

2. Bleyer A., Spreafico F., Barr R. Prostate cancer in young men: An emerging young adult and older adolescent challenge. Cancer. 2019; 126 (1): 46-57. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32498

3. Russian Public Organization "Russian Society of Urologists", Russian Oncologists Association, Russian Public Organization "Russian Society of Oncourologists", Russian Public Organization "Russian Society of Clinical Oncology". Clinical Guidelines for Prostate Cancer. 2021. (In Russ.)

4. Graham L. S., Lin J. K., Lage D. E., et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book. 2023. V. 43. DOI: 10.1200/EDBK_390396.

5. Brito K., Coelho C. A., Wosniaki D. K., et al. Comparative Analysis of Cytokine Expression Profiles in Prostate Cancer Patients. Biology. 2025; 14 (5); 505. DOI: 10.3390/biology14050505.

6. Rojas-Neyra A., Calderón K., CarbajalLévano B., et al. Evaluation of Apoptosis and Cytotoxicit y Induction Using a Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus Expressing Human IFN-γ in Human Prostate Cancer Cells In Vitro. Biomedicines. 2025; 13 (7): 1710. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13071710.

7. Ding H., Wang G., Yu Z., et al. Role of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and IFN-γ receptor 1/2 (IFNγR1/2) in regulation of immunity, infection, and cancer development: IFN-γ-dependent or independent pathway. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2022; 155: 113683. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113683.

8. Bourgeois-Daigneault M. C., Roy D. G., Falls T., et al. Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Expressing Interferon-γ Has Enhanced Therapeutic Activity. Mol Ther Oncolytics. 2016; 17 (3): 16001. DOI: 10.1038/mto.2016.1.

9. Jorgovanovic D., Song M., Wang L., et al. Roles of IFN-γ in tumor progression and regression: a review. Biomark Res. 2020; 8: 49. DOI: 10.1186/s40364-020-00228-x.

10. Mucci A., Antonarelli G., Caserta C., et al. Myeloid cell-based delivery of IFN-γ reprograms the leukemia microenvironment and induces anti-tumoral immune responses EMBO Mol Med. 2021; 13: e13598. DOI: 10.15252/EMMM.20201359.

11. Josephs S. F., Ichim T. E., Prince S. M., et al. Unleashing endogenous TNF-alpha as a cancer immunotherapeutic. J Transl Med. 2018; 16 (1): 242. DOI: 10.1186/s12967018-1611-7.

12. Ilyushin A. L., Krasnaya Ya. L., Shabalkin P. I. Results of an open comparative study in parallel groups to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the drug Refnot® (tumor necrosis factor – thymosin-1 alpha recombinant) in the treatment of disseminated triple-negative breast cancer. Meditsina. 2019; 7 (3): 138-149. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.29234/2308-9113-2019-73-138-149.

13. Ilyushin A. L., Ben Ammar A. M. A case of successful treatment of pancreatic cancer. Rossiiskii onkologicheskii zhurnal. 2022; 27 (5): 243-250. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.17816/ onco456482.