TIAM1 drives prostatic branching phenotype and is a potential therapeutic target for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common urologic condition in elderly men, characterized by the reactivation of developmental programs such as prostatic budding and branching. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this reactivation in BPH remain unclear. In this study, we identified T-lymphoma invasion and metastasis-inducing protein-1 (TIAM1) as a critical regulator of prostatic budding and branching. By generating an unbiased BPH transcriptomic signature from patient datasets, we discovered an upregulation of TIAM1, which was subsequently validated at the protein level. Functional assays using organoid cultures derived from human prostatic cell lines revealed that TIAM1 is essential for prostatic budding and branching. Additionally, the BPH transcriptomic signature identified NSC23766, a small molecule inhibitor of TIAM1/RAC1 signaling, as a therapeutic proof-of-concept agent for BPH. Genetic knockdown of TIAM1 in human prostatic cell lines markedly reduced organoid branching, an effect mirrored by administration of NSC23766. The translational relevance of these findings is underscored by the growth inhibition observed in patient-derived BPH organoids treated with NSC23766. In conclusion, our findings identify TIAM1 as a key driver of prostatic branching and growth, and they suggest that targeting TIAM1/RAC1 signaling could be a promising therapeutic strategy for BPH.