Stem cell genes in androgen-independent prostate cancer

Despite recent advances in the detection and treatment of early stage prost ate cancer, there remains little effective therapy for patients with locall y advanced and/or metastatic disease. Although the majority of patients wit h advanced disease respond initially to androgen ablation therapy, most go on to develop androgen-independent tumors that are inevitably fatal. Theref ore, understanding the mechanisms by which a hormone-sensitive tumor escape s hormonal control is critical to the development of effective therapeutic modalities. The study of the differentiation pathways of normal and abnorma l prostate growth has led to the development of a stem cell model for prost ate cancer [1-3]. Recent work discussed in this commentary suggests that pr ostate tumors resist apoptosis and proliferate by adopting features of norm al prostatic stem/progenitor cells. Basal cells, the putative stem/progenit or cells of the prostate, possess the phenotype of androgen-independence as do most advanced prostate cancers. Therefore, the study of basal cells may prove critical to understanding prostate carcinogenesis and to the develop ment of novel strategies for preventing and managing prostate cancer.