WISH-PC2: a unique xenograft model of human prostatic small cell carcinoma

Prostatic small cell carcinoma is an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer that usually appears as a progression of the original adenocarcinoma. We describe here the WISH-PC2, a novel neuroendocrine xenograft of small cell carcinoma of the prostate. This xenograft was established from a poorly differentiated prostate adenocarcinoma and is serially transplanted in immune-compromised mice where it grows within the prostate, liver, and bone, inducing osteolytic lesions with foci of osteoblastic activity. It secretes to the mouse Chromogranin A and expresses prostate plasma carcinoma tumor antigen-1, six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate, and members of the Erb-B receptor family. It does not express prostate-specific antigen, prostate stem cell antigen, prostate-specific membrane antigen, and androgen receptor, and it grows independently of androgen. Altogether, WISH-PC2 provides an unlimited source in which to study the involvement of neuroendocrine cells in the progression of prostatic adenocarcinoma and can serve as a novel model for the testing of new therapeutic strategies for prostatic small cell carcinoma.