PROSTATIC CELL LINEAGE MARKERS - EMERGENCE OF BCL2(-CANCER XENOGRAFT LUCAP-23 FOLLOWING CASTRATION() CELLS OF HUMAN PROSTATE)

A model of prostate cancer progression based on the expression pattern of informative genes in the human prostate cancer xenograft LuCaP 23. 1 is presented. Apparently, there are at least 2 tumor cell population s of LuCaP 23.1, representing 2 different phenotypes. One is NSE (neur on-specific enolase)-positive and the other NSE-negative. NSE-positive tumors were recovered after hormone-independent growth in castrated m ice. These hormone-independent tumors also expressed BCL2, a gene prod uct shown to inhibit apoptosis. With NSE, BCL2 and PSA (prostate-speci fic antigen) as identifying markers, the model specifies a putative pr ogression sequence of the prostate cancer cell types. We also show a p roposed lineage relationship among the 3 principal normal cell types f ound in the prostatic epithelium. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.