Rethinking Sex Steroids: Understanding the Clinical Relevance of 11-Oxygenated Androgens

Karl Storbeck
Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

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Karl Storbeck (Presenter) Stellenbosch University

Presenter Bio: Karl Storbeck is an Associate Professor in Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and an honorary senior research fellow at the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham, UK. He was awarded his PhD in Biochemistry by Stellenbosch University in 2008 and was subsequently appointed to faculty in 2012. His research focusses on understanding the role of the overlooked adrenal 11-oxygenated androgens in health and disease. His group has shown that 11-ketotestosterone and 11-ketodihydrotestosterone are bone fide androgens and together with others has implicated 11-oxygenated androgens as important role players in disease states including castration resistant prostate cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. He employs state-of-the-art mass spectrometry based assays including ultra-high performance supercritical fluid tandem mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS/MS) in his research and was awarded a Newton Advanced Fellowship by the Academy of Medical Sciences in the UK in 2016. This fellowship has allowed him to work with the team from the Steroid Metabolome Analysis Core at the University of Birmingham to develop new UHPSFC-MS/MS methods for application in the clinical laboratory.

Relevant Financial Disclosures (within past 24 months) No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose. Discussing Products? NO, presenter will NOT present educational content related to products/services of the ineligible company(ies) listed above. Conflict mitigation NOT REQUIRED.

The C19 steroid 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11OHA4) is a major product of adrenal steroidogenesis, but was ignored for decades due to an apparent lack of activity. However, recent studies have demonstrated that 11OHA4 is the precursor to the potent 11-oxygenated androgens, 11-ketotestosterone and 11-ketodihydrotestosterone, that bind and activate the human androgen receptor with affinities and potencies similar to that of testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), respectively. The significance of these findings becomes apparent when considering androgen dependent diseases such as castration resistant prostate cancer and endocrine conditions associated with androgen excess such as polycystic ovary syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Recent findings pertaining to the importance of the overlooked 11-oxygenated androgens will be presented, highlighting the role of 11-oxygenated androgens in disease states and challenging the paradigm that testosterone and DHT are the only clinically relevant androgens.