Isolation and Characterization of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells
Abstract
The aims of this proposal are based on the observations from our initial studies with human prostate cancer surgical specimens. We discovered that prostate stem/early progenitor cells recovered from tumor specimens lack the TMPRSS-ERG translocation found in the original tumor, when examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Our findings suggest either ETS rearrangements are not present at the stem/progenitor cell level, or that genetically deranged prostate stem/progenitor cells are particularly vulnerable to apoptosis or senescence in vitro, resulting in selective advantage of benign cells. We have evaluated the growth requirements that enable survival and expansion of prostate stem/progenitor cells from benign and malignant human tissue specimens. As such, we have generated an extensive biorepository of human prostate tissue and/or primary cell lines from more than 500 prostate cancer cases that may serve as provide valuable biological tools for understanding the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets in future studies. Factors that have affected the ability to isolate and expand primary tumors include low tumor grade/volume present in surgical samples, increased sensitivity of tumor cells to apoptosis after tissue dissociation, semi-competent immune systems in many SCID mouse strains that inhibit tumor take, and a microenvironment that lacks critical growth factors and cellular interactions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA598723
Entities
People
- Isla P Garraway
Organizations
- University of California, Los Angeles