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Updated: May 11, 2026
08:44
Formation of Human Prostate Epithelium Using Tissue Recombination of Rodent Urogenital Sinus Mesenchyme and Human Stem Cells
Published on: June 22, 2013
Induced pluripotency of human prostatic epithelial cells
Hongjuan Zhao1, Ning Sun, Sarah R Young
1Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 30, 2013
Summary
Researchers reprogrammed adult human basal prostatic epithelial cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS)-like cells. These cells show pluripotency and can differentiate into various cell types, including prostate epithelial cells, offering a new model for prostate research.
Area of Science:
- Stem Cell Biology
- Prostate Cancer Research
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are crucial for studying cell differentiation and epigenetic modifications.
- Reprogramming normal adult human basal prostatic epithelial cells into iPS cells has not been previously reported.
- Understanding prostate cell lineage specification requires models that capture epigenetic changes during differentiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reprogram normal adult human basal prostatic epithelial cells into iPS-like cells.
- To assess the pluripotency and differentiation capacity of these E-PZ-iPS-like cells.
- To investigate epigenetic changes during the differentiation of iPS-like cells into prostatic epithelial cells.
Main Methods:
- Forced expression of Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 using lentiviral vectors to reprogram basal prostatic epithelial cells.
- Characterization of reprogrammed cells for pluripotency markers (Tra-1-81, SSEA-3, Nanog, Sox2, Oct4) and loss of epithelial markers (CK5, CK14, p63).
- In vitro differentiation assays, in vivo teratoma formation assessment, and DNA methylation profiling.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like colonies (E-PZ-iPS-like cells) at a 0.01% frequency.
- E-PZ-iPS-like cells expressed pluripotency markers, lost basal epithelial markers, and differentiated into ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal lineages in vitro.
- These cells re-expressed basal and secretory prostate epithelial markers (CD44, p63, MAO-A, AR, PSA) under specific culture conditions, indicating potential for prostate differentiation.
- DNA methylation profiling revealed epigenetic alterations during differentiation into AR- and PSA-expressing cells.
Conclusions:
- Reprogrammed prostatic epithelial cells yield pluripotent iPS-like cells capable of differentiating into prostatic basal and secretory cells.
- These E-PZ-iPS-like cells provide a novel in vitro model for studying epigenetic mechanisms in prostate cell lineage specification.
- The findings open avenues for investigating prostate development and diseases through the lens of epigenetics and stem cell biology.
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