INDIANAPOLIS — New research from the IU School of Medicine found a discovery that could lead to new treatments for prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society said one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. It is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men. The researchers behind this study said current prostate cancer treatments target the hormone testosterone, which the cancer cells need to grow. However, the tumors often become resistant to this treatment. That leaves doctors with few other options. The team said prostate cancer cells need a lot of nutrients to support rapid growth. As nutrients are depleted, a protein called GCN2 signals the cells to make more fuel for growth. The team reasoned that a drug that shuts down GCN2 could leave the cancer unable to make enough fuel to survive. While this discovery did not kill the cancer cells, it did slow the growth. The team went on to find that a protein called p53 was cancer's "plan B." "The p53, which is functionally retained in most prostate cancers - unlike in other forms of cancer - signals to restrict cell division and gather nutrients," explained an IU news release about the research. "Prostate cancers could be effectively destroyed when the researchers inhibited both GCN2 and p53." This discovery means a lot to the researchers. "Most of us have been impacted by prostate cancer," said Ron Wek, the Showalter professor of biochemistry. "We have brothers and uncles, parents, fathers who have been affected and I’ve seen the complications and the tragedies that happen with prostate cancer.” Kirk Staschke, an assistant research professor of biochemistry and molecular biology with the IU School of Medicine, said new data published in the Lancet shows from 2020 to 2040, the number of prostate cancer cases worldwide could double as life expectancy for men gets longer. "We’re expecting a surge in prostate cancer cases," he said, "So we really need new therapeutics in the armamentarium for physicians to treat this disease.” Their research has been published in Science Signaling. The Prostate Cancer Foundation said men should begin screening for the disease at age 40. Read more here.