Primitive origins of prostate cancer: In vivo evidence for prostate-regenerating cells and prostate cancer-initiating cells

Received 8 March 2010; received in revised form 23 June 2010; accepted 24 June 2010. published online 23 July 2010.
Corrected Proof

Abstract

Tissue stem cells have been linked to cancers of epithelial origin including the prostate. There are three relevant issues concerning stem cells and cancer that rely solely on functional studies: 1. Are there tissue-regenerating stem cells in the adult organ? 2. Can tissue-regenerating cells serve as targets for transformation? 3. Do primary tumors contain tumor-propagating (cancer stem) cells? We will review the recent literature with respect to these critical issues to provide a direct link between primitive cells and prostate cancer.

Keywords: Prostate cancer, Cancer-initiation, Stem cell, Tissue-regeneration, Castration-resistance

a Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

b Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

c Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

d Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, 675 Charles E. Young Dr. South, 5-748 MRL, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA

e Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

Corresponding author. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, 675 Charles E. Young Dr. South, 5-748 MRL, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA. Tel.: +1 310 206 0386; fax: +1 310 206 8822.

PII: S1574-7891(10)00061-X

doi:10.1016/j.molonc.2010.06.009