scholarly journals Animal models relevant to human prostate carcinogenesis underlining the critical implication of prostatic stem/progenitor cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 1816 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murielle Mimeault ◽  
Surinder K. Batra
2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 928.1-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Hu ◽  
W Hu ◽  
S Majumdar ◽  
T Gauntner ◽  
Y Li ◽  
...  

Estrogens are implicated in prostate development and cancer, while stem cells are essential in tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that estradiol-17β (E2) treatment augments prostaspheres (PS) number and size, implicating them as direct estrogen targets. The present studies sought to elucidate specific roles for ERα and ERβ in prostate stem and progenitor cells.Prostate stem-progenitor cells were identified and isolated from normal primary prostate epithelial cells (PrEC) using long term BrdU retention in 3-D PS culture. FACS analyses (BrdU/ERα or ERβ) showed prostate stem and progenitor populations were both ERα+ and ERβ+. BrdU-retaining stem cells expressed high levels of ERβ and lower ERα as compared to non-label-retaining progenitor cells, suggesting ERβ dominance in the prostate stem cell. Estradiol increased BrdU-retaining cell numbers by enhancing stem cell self-renewal through symmetric division. While ERα siRNA blocked the E2-stimulated BrdU-retaining cells, ERβ knockdown augmented the E2-induced increase of BrdU-retaining cells. Together these findings suggest that ERα stimulates whereas ERβ suppresses stem cell self-renew. This conclusion is supported by separate studies on 2-D cultured PrEC with FACS stem-like cell side-population analysis using selective ER antagonists and siRNA. Although ERβ siRNA did not influence ERα mRNA levels, ERα siRNA doubled ERβ expression suggesting a suppressive role of ERα on ERβ action.In total, the present findings identify distinct localization patterns and roles for ERα and ERβ in human prostate stem-like and daughter progenitor cells with ERα driving self-renewal and ERβ braking division. We propose that a delicate balance between ERα and ERβ contributes to prostate stem cell niche homeostasis and that their dysregulation may contribute to prostate carcinogenesis and progression.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan-Ping Hu ◽  
Wen-Yang Hu ◽  
Lishi Xie ◽  
Ye Li ◽  
Lynn Birch ◽  
...  

Substantial evidences from epidemiological and animal-based studies indicate that early exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during the developmental stage results in a variety of disorders including cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated that early estrogen exposure results in life-long reprogramming of the prostate gland that leads to an increased incidence of prostatic lesions with aging. We have recently documented that bisphenol A (BPA), one of the most studied EDCs with estrogenic activity has similar effects in increasing prostate carcinogenic potential, supporting the connection between EDCs exposure and prostate cancer risk. It is well accepted that stem cells play a crucial role in development and cancer. Accumulating evidence suggest that stem cells are regulated by extrinsic factors and may be the potential target of hormonal carcinogenesis. Estrogenic EDCs which interfere with normal hormonal signaling may perturb prostate stem cell fate by directly reprogramming stem cells or breaking down the stem cell niche. Transformation of stem cells into cancer stem cells may underlie cancer initiation accounting for cancer recurrence, which becomes a critical therapeutic target of cancer management. We therefore propose that estrogenic EDCs may influence the development and progression of prostate cancer through reprogramming and transforming the prostate stem and early stage progenitor cells. In this review, we summarize our current studies and have updated recent advances highlighting estrogenic EDCs on prostate carcinogenesis by possible targeting prostate stem/progenitor cells. Using novel stem cell assays we have demonstrated that human prostate stem/progenitor cells express estrogen receptors (ER) and are directly modulated by estrogenic EDCs. Moreover, employing anin vivohumanized chimeric prostate model, we further demonstrated that estrogenic EDCs initiate and promote prostatic carcinogenesis in an androgen-supported environment. These findings support our hypothesis that prostate stem/progenitor cells may be the direct targets of estrogenic EDCs as a consequence of developmental exposure which carry permanent reprogrammed epigenetic and oncogenic events and subsequently deposit into cancer initiation and progression in adulthood.


Endocrinology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 160 (11) ◽  
pp. 2692-2708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyama Majumdar ◽  
Jaqueline C Rinaldi ◽  
Neha R Malhotra ◽  
Lishi Xie ◽  
Dan-Ping Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Human prostate stem and progenitor cells express estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ and exhibit proliferative responses to estrogens. In this study, membrane-initiated estrogen signaling was interrogated in human prostate stem/progenitor cells enriched from primary epithelial cultures and stem-like cell lines from benign and cancerous prostates. Subcellular fractionation and proximity ligation assays localized ERα and ERβ to the cell membrane with caveolin-1 interactions. Exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) for 15 to 60 minutes led to sequential phosphorylation of signaling molecules in MAPK and AKT pathways, IGF1 receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and ERα, thus documenting an intact membrane signalosome that activates diverse downstream cascades. Treatment with an E2–dendrimer conjugate or ICI 182,870 validated E2-mediated actions through membrane ERs. Overexpression and knockdown of ERα or ERβ in stem/progenitor cells identified pathway selectivity; ERα preferentially activated AKT, whereas ERβ selectively activated MAPK cascades. Furthermore, prostate cancer stem-like cells expressed only ERβ, and brief E2 exposure activated MAPK but not AKT cascades. A gene subset selectively regulated by nongenomic E2 signaling was identified in normal prostate progenitor cells that includes BGN, FOSB, FOXQ1, and MAF. Membrane-initiated E2 signaling rapidly modified histone methyltransferases, with MLL1 cleavage observed downstream of phosphorylated AKT and EZH2 phosphorylation downstream of MAPK signaling, which may jointly modify histones to permit rapid gene transcription. Taken together, the present findings document ERα and ERβ membrane-initiated signaling in normal and cancerous human prostate stem/progenitor cells with differential engagement of downstream effectors. These signaling pathways influence normal prostate stem/progenitor cell homeostasis and provide novel therapeutic sites to target the elusive prostate cancer stem cell population.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e22029-e22029
Author(s):  
A. Goldkorn ◽  
T. Xu

e22029 Background: We investigated whether telomerase, which is critical for benign stem cell activation, also plays a role in prostate cancer progenitor cells (PCPCs), which are thought to mediate therapy resistance and cancer progression, and we tested whether telomerase interference can effectively inhibit PCPC proliferation. Methods: A putative PCPC population was isolated from human prostatectomy specimens via collagen attachment and FACS selection for integrin α2β1 and CD44. PCPCs were characterized for gene expression (RT-PCR), clonogenicity (colony formation), invasiveness (matrigel chamber), and telomerase activity (qPCR-TRAP). PCPC telomerase interference was accomplished by lentiviral expression of 2 constructs: telomerase RNA with an altered template region (MT-Ter) and siRNA targeting wild-type telomerase RNA (anti-Ter siRNA). The effects of these constructs were assessed by measuring PCPC viability (MTS) and apoptosis (TUNEL assay). Results: An integrin α2β1+CD44+ putative PCPC population was isolated from 6 human prostate tumors. This population expressed high levels of “progenitor phenotype” genes (ABCG2, β-catenin, NANOG, Oct3/4) and low levels of “differentiated phenotype” genes (AR and PSA). PCPCs yielded >50 colonies per 1000 cells seeded on collagen after 3 weeks vs. none from FACS- cells, and matrigel chamber assay showed 10% of the PCPC population invading over 24 hours vs. none of the FACS- population. Most importantly, PCPCs possessed at least 20- fold greater telomerase activity than FACS- cells, and induction of telomerase interference in PCPCs via MT-hTer and anti- hTer siRNA expression elicited a brisk apoptotic response (TUNEL) by day 3 in >90% of cells, with concomitant near-complete growth inhibition (MTS). Conclusions: We have shown that human prostate tumors contain a subpopulation of prostate cancer progenitor cells (PCPCs) marked by an undifferentiated gene expression profile, vigorous clonogenicity and invasiveness, and high levels of telomerase activity that can be successfully exploited to neutralize these cells. Ongoing studies are investigating the in vivo effects of telomerase interference on PCPC tumorigenicity in mouse models. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Paolo Fadini ◽  
Angelo Avogaro

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide growing disease and represents a huge social and healthcare problem owing to the burden of its complications. Micro- and macrovascular diabetic complications arise from excess damage through well-known biochemical pathways. Interestingly, microangiopathy hits the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment with features similar to retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. The BM represents a reservoir of progenitor cells for multiple lineages, not limited to the hematopoietic system and including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, and osteogenic cells. All these multiple progenitor cell lineages are profoundly altered in the setting of diabetes in humans and animal models. Reduction of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) along with excess smooth muscle progenitor (SMP) and osteoprogenitor cells creates an imbalance that promote the development of micro- and macroangiopathy. Finally, an excess generation of BM-derived fusogenic cells has been found to contribute to diabetic complications in animal models. Taken together, a growing amount of literature attributes to circulating progenitor cells a multi-faceted role in the pathophysiology of DM, setting a novel scenario that puts BM and the blood at the centre of the stage.


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