Reprogramming of prostate cancer cells--technical challenges

Curr Urol Rep. 2015 Jan;16(1):468. doi: 10.1007/s11934-014-0468-4.

Abstract

Prostate cancer progression is characterized by tumor dedifferentiation. Cancer cells of less differentiated tumors have a gene expression/transcriptome more similar to that of stem cells. In dedifferentiation, cancer cells may follow a specific program of gene expression changes to a stem-like state. In order to treat cancer effectively, the stem-like cancer cells and cancer differentiation pathway need to be identified and studied. Due to the very low abundance of stem-like cancer cells, their isolation from fresh human tumors is technically challenging. Induced pluripotent stem cell technology can reprogram differentiated cells into stem-like, and this may be a tool to generate sufficient stem-like cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cell Dedifferentiation*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cellular Reprogramming*
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells*
  • Male
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Prostate / cytology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms*