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Query: UMLS:C0376358 (prostate cancer)
 59,338 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Prostate epithelial stem cells (PSCs) are primed by the urogenital mesenchyme to initiate bud formation and branching morphogenesis, ultimately culminating in a glandular structure composed of luminal, basal and neuroendocrine cells. Identity of this cell has remained elusive however cell populations enriched for cells exhibiting stem cell characteristics express the stem cell markers CD133(+), alpha2beta1(hi), CD44 and Sca-1 along with embryonic stem cell factors including Oct-1, Nanog, Sox2 and nestin. Androgens are critical to prostate organogenesis and play a major role in normal prostate function and the development of prostate cancer. Cell lineage is another variable in the development of prostate cancer. This review discusses the embryonic prostate stem cell niche, normal prostate development, isolation and characterization of normal prostate and prostate cancer stem cells, and current concepts on the origin of prostate cancer.
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PMID:Exploring the origins of the normal prostate and prostate cancer stem cell. 1856 40

Maintenance of the prostatic epithelial cell compartment is ensured by proliferation of adult epithelial progenitor or stem cells. These cells are characterized by an undifferentiated state, high proliferative capacity and long life span. Prostate progenitor/stem cells are localized in their stem cell-niche in the basal cell compartment in close contact to the basement membrane and the stromal cell compartment and are characterized by expression of the basal cytokeratins 5 and 14, high levels of integrins, CD44, the stem cell markers CD133 and ABCG2, and AR negativity. They give rise to secretory luminal (cytokeratins 8/18, CD57, AR, p27, PSA, PAP) and neuroendocrine cells (cytokeratins 8/18, CD57, CgA, NSE, NEPs), the two major cell types observed in the glandular epithelium. A growing body of experimental evidence has identified the amplifying progenitor/stem cell (CD44(+), alpha(2)beta(1)(hi), CD133(+)), as a putative origin of prostate cancer. Differentiation of this cell type can be affected by mutations in the intrinsic genetic program, by age-related changes in stromal-epithelial interactions or in the basement membrane/ECM composition. All these stochastic events occur during aging and can transform a normal prostate progenitor/stem cell into a cancer stem cell, a source of androgen-dependent and independent tumor cell clones. Thus, the heterogeneous and multifocal nature of prostatic cancer with a pleora of different tumor cell clones clearly reflects the differentiation capacity of the prostatic epithelial progenitor cells.
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PMID:Aging of the prostate epithelial stem/progenitor cell. 1863 23

Resolving the specific cell of origin for prostate cancer is critical to define rational targets for therapeutic intervention and requires the isolation and characterization of both normal human prostate stem cells and prostate cancer-initiating cells (CIC). Single epithelial cells from fresh normal human prostate tissue and prostate epithelial cell (PrEC) cultures derived from them were evaluated for the presence of subpopulations expressing stem cell markers and exhibiting stem-like growth characteristics. When epithelial cell suspensions containing cells expressing the stem cell marker CD133+ are inoculated in vivo, regeneration of stratified human prostate glands requires inductive prostate stromal cells. PrEC cultures contain a small subpopulation of CD133+ cells, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting-purified CD133+ PrECs self-renew and regenerate cell populations expressing markers of transit-amplifying cells (DeltaNp63), intermediate cells (prostate stem cell antigen), and neuroendocrine cells (CD56). Using a series of CD133 monoclonal antibodies, attachment and growth of CD133+ PrECs requires surface expression of full-length glycosylated CD133 protein. Within a series of androgen receptor-positive (AR+) human prostate cancer cell lines, CD133+ cells are present at a low frequency, self-renew, express AR, generate phenotypically heterogeneous progeny negative for CD133, and possess an unlimited proliferative capacity, consistent with CD133+ cells being CICs. Unlike normal adult prostate stem cells, prostate CICs are AR+ and do not require functional CD133. This suggests that (a) AR-expressing prostate CICs are derived from a malignantly transformed intermediate cell that acquires "stem-like activity" and not from a malignantly transformed normal stem cell and (b) AR signaling pathways are a therapeutic target for prostate CICs.
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PMID:The role of CD133 in normal human prostate stem cells and malignant cancer-initiating cells. 1904 48

The biology of the normal colonic mucosa suggests that colon cancer originates from normal colon stem cells. CD44 cancer stem cells have been identified in breast and prostate cancer, and we therefore examined whether CD44 similarly identified colon cancer stem cells. Initial assays found CD44(hi) colon tumor cells to have enhanced soft agar colony-forming ability. Subsequently, CD44(hi) cells isolated from 4 primary colon adenocarcinoma xenografts were found to be highly tumorigenic in immune deficient mice. CD44(hi) cells consistently formed tumors with 1,000 cells, and in multiple experiments, as few as 10 and 100 CD44(hi) cells formed tumors in 7/10 and 21/28 mice, respectively. In contrast, CD44(-) colon tumor cells were either nontumorigenic or 10-50-fold less tumorigenic. CD44(hi) cells could be serially passaged up to 4 times in vivo, suggesting self-renewal capacity, and formed tumors that recapitulated the heterogeneity of the original patient tumor. CD44(hi) cells were significantly enriched for nuclear activated beta-catenin, a key element in normal stem/progenitor cells and in early colon tumor progression. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling studies indicated that CD44(hi) cells divide slowly relative to the CD44(-) cells, suggesting their tumorigenicity is not simply due to faster proliferation. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) sort further increased the tumorigenicity of CD44(hi) cells from 2/2 patient tumors, but CD133 tumor cells in our hands did not have increased tumorigenicity. Our observations indicate that CD44 is a marker of stem-like cells in colon cancer, and support the use of additional markers to further purify colon cancer stem cells.
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PMID:Characterization of a subpopulation of colon cancer cells with stem cell-like properties. 1907 81

Characterization of the molecular pathways that are required for the viability and maintenance of self-renewing tumor-initiating cells may ultimately lead to improved therapies for cancer. In this study, we show that a CD133(+)/CD44(+) population of cells enriched in prostate cancer progenitors (PCaPs) has tumor-initiating potential and that these progenitors can be expanded under nonadherent, serum-free, sphere-forming conditions. Cells grown under these conditions have increased in vitro clonogenic and in vivo tumorigenic potential. mRNA expression analysis of cells grown under sphere-forming conditions, compared with long-term monolayer cultures, revealed preferential activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. PI3K p110alpha and beta-protein levels were higher in cells grown under sphere-forming conditions, and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) knockdown by shRNA led to an increase in sphere formation as well as increased clonogenic and tumorigenic potential. Similarly, shRNA knockdown of FoxO3a led to an increase in tumorigenic potential. Consistent with these results, inhibition of PI3K activity by the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 led to growth inhibition of PCaPs. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways are critical for prostate cancer stem-like cell maintenance and that targeting PI3K signaling may be beneficial in prostate cancer treatment by eliminating prostate cancer stem-like cells.
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PMID:The role of PTEN/Akt/PI3K signaling in the maintenance and viability of prostate cancer stem-like cell populations. 1911 69

Prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics were identified in human prostate cancer cell lines by their ability to form from single cells self-renewing prostaspheres in non-adherent cultures. Prostaspheres exhibited heterogeneous expression of proliferation, differentiation and stem cell-associated makers CD44, ABCG2 and CD133. Treatment with WNT inhibitors reduced both prostasphere size and self-renewal. In contrast, addition of Wnt3a caused increased prostasphere size and self-renewal, which was associated with a significant increase in nuclear beta-catenin, keratin 18, CD133 and CD44 expression. As a high proportion of LNCaP and C4-2B cancer cells express androgen receptor we determined the effect of the androgen receptor antagonist bicalutamide. Androgen receptor inhibition reduced prostasphere size and expression of PSA, but did not inhibit prostasphere formation. These effects are consistent with the androgen-independent self-renewal of cells with stem cell characteristics and the androgen-dependent proliferation of transit amplifying cells. As the canonical WNT signaling effector beta-catenin can also associate with the androgen receptor, we propose a model for tumour propagation involving a balance between WNT and androgen receptor activity. That would affect the self-renewal of a cancer cell with stem cell characteristics and drive transit amplifying cell proliferation and differentiation. In conclusion, we provide evidence that WNT activity regulates the self-renewal of prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics independently of androgen receptor activity. Inhibition of WNT signaling therefore has the potential to reduce the self-renewal of prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics and improve the therapeutic outcome.
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PMID:WNT signaling regulates self-renewal and differentiation of prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics. 1936 3

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men, and patients with metastatic disease have poor outcome even with the most advanced therapeutic approaches. Most cancer therapies target the bulk tumor cells, but may leave intact a small population of tumor-initiating cells (TICs), which are believed to be responsible for the subsequent relapse and metastasis. Using specific surface markers (CD44, integrin alpha(2)beta(1) and CD133), Hoechst 33342 dye exclusion, and holoclone formation, we isolated TICs from a panel of prostate cancer cell lines (DU145, C4-2 and LNCaP). We have found that prostate TICs have significant telomerase activity which is inhibited by imetelstat sodium (GRN163L), a new telomerase antagonist that is currently in Phase I/II clinical trials for several hematological and solid tumor malignancies. Prostate TICs telomeres were of similar average length to the telomeres of the main population of cells and significant telomere shortening was detected in prostate TICs as a result of imetelstat treatment. These findings suggest that telomerase inhibition therapy may be able to efficiently target the prostate TICs in addition to the bulk tumor cells, providing new opportunities for combination therapies.
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PMID:The effects of telomerase inhibition on prostate tumor-initiating cells. 1990 30

CXCR4, CD133, CD44 and ABCG2 are representative transmembrane proteins expressed on the surfaces of normal and/or cancer stem cells. CXCR4 is co-expressed with POU5F1 in endodermal precursors and adult-tissue stem cells. CXCR4 is expressed in a variety of human tumors, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer. CXCR4 is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) for CXCL12 (SDF1) chemokine, and the CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling axis is involved in proliferation, survival, migration, and homing of cancer cells. Integrative genomic analyses of CXCR4 gene were carried out to elucidate the mechanisms of CXCR4 expression in stem cells, because CXCR4 is a key molecule occupying the crossroads of oncology, immunology, gerontology and regenerative medicine. Human CXCR4 promoter region with binding sites for HIF1alpha, ETS1, NF-kappaB and GLI was not conserved in mouse and rat Cxcr4 orthologs. Proximal enhancer region with palindromic Smad-binding sites, FOX-binding site, POU-binding site, triple SOX17-binding sites, bHLH-binding site, TCF/LEF-binding site, and double GFI1-binding sites was almost completely conserved among human, chimpanzee, mouse, and rat CXCR4 orthologs. TGFbeta, Nodal, and Activin signals induce CXCR4 upregulation based on Smad2/3 and FOX family members, such as FOXA2, FOXC2, and FOXH1. CXCR4 is expressed in endodermal precursors due to the existence of triple SOX17-binding sites around the POU-binding site instead of the POU5F1-SOX2 joint motif. Because CXCR4 is downregulated by p53-GFI1 signaling axis, p53 mutation in cancer stem cells leads to CXCR4 upregulation. CXCR4 is also upregulated by TGFbeta and Hedgehog signals in tumor cells at the invasion front. Small molecule compound or human antibody targeted to CXCR4 will be applied for cancer therapeutics focusing on cancer stem cells at the primary lesion as well as metastasis or recurrence niches, such as bone marrow and peritoneal cavity.
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PMID:Integrative genomic analyses of CXCR4: transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 based on TGFbeta, Nodal, Activin signaling and POU5F1, FOXA2, FOXC2, FOXH1, SOX17, and GFI1 transcription factors. 2004 76

Prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are androgen-dependent diseases commonly treated by inhibiting androgen action. However, androgen ablation or castration fail to target androgen-independent cells implicated in disease etiology and recurrence. Mechanistically different to castration, this study shows beneficial proapoptotic actions of estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) in BPH and PCa. ERbeta agonist induces apoptosis in prostatic stromal, luminal and castrate-resistant basal epithelial cells of estrogen-deficient aromatase knock-out mice. This occurs via extrinsic (caspase-8) pathways, without reducing serum hormones, and perturbs the regenerative capacity of the epithelium. TNFalpha knock-out mice fail to respond to ERbeta agonist, demonstrating the requirement for TNFalpha signaling. In human tissues, ERbeta agonist induces apoptosis in stroma and epithelium of xenografted BPH specimens, including in the CD133(+) enriched putative stem/progenitor cells isolated from BPH-1 cells in vitro. In PCa, ERbeta causes apoptosis in Gleason Grade 7 xenografted tissues and androgen-independent cells lines (PC3 and DU145) via caspase-8. These data provide evidence of the beneficial effects of ERbeta agonist on epithelium and stroma of BPH, as well as androgen-independent tumor cells implicated in recurrent disease. Our data are indicative of the therapeutic potential of ERbeta agonist for treatment of PCa and/or BPH with or without androgen withdrawal.
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PMID:Estrogen receptor-beta activated apoptosis in benign hyperplasia and cancer of the prostate is androgen independent and TNFalpha mediated. 2013 57

The present study has been undertaken to establish the therapeutic benefit of cotargeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and sonic hedgehog pathways by using gefitinib and cyclopamine, respectively, for improving the efficacy of the current chemotherapeutic drug docetaxel to counteract the prostate cancer progression from locally invasive to metastatic and recurrent disease stages. The data from immuofluorescence analyses revealed that EGFR/Tyr(1173)-pEGFR, sonic hedgehog ligand, smoothened coreceptor, and GLI-1 were colocalized with the CD133(+) stem cell-like marker in a small subpopulation of prostate cancer cells. These signaling molecules were also present in the bulk tumor mass of CD133(-) prostate cancer cells with a luminal phenotype detected in patient's adenocarcinoma tissues. Importantly, the results revealed that the CD133(+)/CD44(high)/AR(-/low) side population (SP) cell fraction endowed with a high self-renewal potential isolated from tumorigenic and invasive WPE1-NB26 cells by the Hoechst dye technique was insensitive to the current chemotherapeutic drug, docetaxel. In contrast, the docetaxel treatment induced significant antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on the CD133(-)/CD44(low)/AR(+) non-SP cell fraction isolated from the WPE1-NB26 cell line. Of therapeutic interest, the results have also indicated that combined docetaxel, gefitinib, and cyclopamine induced greater antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on SP and non-SP cell fractions isolated from WPE1-NB26 cells than individual drugs or two-drug combinations. Altogether, these observations suggest that EGFR and sonic hedgehog cascades may represent the potential therapeutic targets of great clinical interest to eradicate the total prostate cancer cell mass and improve the current docetaxel-based therapies against locally advanced and invasive prostate cancers, and thereby prevent metastases and disease relapse.
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PMID:Cytotoxic effects induced by docetaxel, gefitinib, and cyclopamine on side population and nonside population cell fractions from human invasive prostate cancer cells. 2017 63


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