Bone metastasis in prostate cancer: molecular and cellular mechanisms (Review)

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Western countries, with a high incidence of bone metastasis. The bony metastasis is incurable and contributes significantly to disease-specific morbidity and mortality. The molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to the development of bone metastasis in prostate cancer remain unclear, but are currently under intensive investigation. In this review, we summarized the current understanding of bone metastasis in prostate cancer. The rapid progress in the genetic predisposition that makes prostate cancer cells more prone to spread to bone, bone-derived factors which are involved in the development of bone metastasis at the level of the local microenvironment, the interactions between metastatic prostate cancer cells and bone marrow endothelial cells, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts, are discussed in this article.