Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
09:06
Isolation of Stem-like Cells from 3-Dimensional Spheroid Cultures
Published on: December 13, 2019
Aging of the prostate epithelial stem/progenitor cell.
Christoph Zenzmaier1, Gerold Untergasser, Peter Berger
1Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria.
Experimental Gerontology
|July 22, 2008
Summary
Prostate stem cells give rise to all epithelial cell types. Aberrant differentiation of these prostate stem cells can lead to prostate cancer, originating diverse tumor cell clones.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Cell Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Prostatic epithelial homeostasis relies on adult stem/progenitor cells.
- These cells reside in the basal compartment, expressing specific markers like cytokeratins 5/14, CD44, CD133, and ABCG2, and are androgen receptor-negative.
- They differentiate into luminal secretory and neuroendocrine cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of prostate progenitor/stem cells in prostate cancer development.
- To understand the origins of tumor heterogeneity in prostate cancer.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of prostate progenitor/stem cell markers (e.g., CD44, alpha(2)beta(1), CD133).
- Analysis of differentiation pathways and their potential alterations.
- Investigating the impact of aging and microenvironmental factors on stem cell transformation.
Main Results:
- Prostate progenitor/stem cells are identified as the likely origin of prostate cancer.
- Alterations in differentiation, driven by genetic mutations or aging-related changes, can transform normal stem cells into cancer stem cells.
- These cancer stem cells generate diverse androgen-dependent and independent tumor clones.
Conclusions:
- Prostate cancer heterogeneity arises from the differentiation plasticity of epithelial progenitor cells.
- Understanding these progenitor cells is crucial for understanding prostate cancer initiation and progression.
- Targeting these cells may offer new therapeutic strategies.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:06Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell
A hair follicle or HF is a small part of the skin that produces the hair shaft. Paul Gerson Unna was the first to observe a bulge in the human hair follicle's outer root sheath (ORS). The bulge is present between the sebaceous gland and the arrector pili muscle and is the niche for hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). The bulge is also a niche for melanocyte stem cells, and their loss results in graying of hair. The HFSCs express Sox9 and Lhx2, which help them maintain stemness and prevent...
01:33Adult Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously renew...
01:26Stem Cell Niche
The stem cell niche is the dynamic microenvironment where stem cells reside. Inside these niches, the cells may remain undifferentiated, undergo high self-renewal, or become lineage-specific progenitors. Stem cells coexist with other niche cells, such as stromal cells. They also interact closely with the ECM. Cell-cell and cell-matrix communication occur via adhesion molecules or soluble factors that signal the stem cells and determine their fate. Stromal cells also provide survival signals to...
01:18Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells
A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
01:12Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells
The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular cells,...
01:23Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells
The intestinal epithelial lining rapidly renews every 4 to 5 days. The renewal is facilitated by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of the crypt– a gland located at the bottom of each villus. ISCs divide asymmetrically to form new stem cells and progenitor daughter cells. The daughter cells are called transit-amplifying (TA) cells which move upwards along the crypt and either differentiate into absorptive cells– the enterocytes or secretory cells– including the goblet,...