Mechanisms of abemaciclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, induced apoptotic cell death in prostate cancer cells in vitro

•ABE treatment may be a promising treatment strategy in especially mCRPC.•ABE treatment significantly inhibited PC cell growth through apoptosis, depolarization of mitochondria membrane potential, the generation of ROS 2. ABE treatment induced depolarization of mitochondria membrane potential.•ABE caused many cytoplasmic vacuoles in PC cells and these effects were more profound in LNCaP cells than PC-3 cells.