Recent advances in prostate development and links to prostatic diseases

Abstract

The prostate is a branched ductal-acinar gland that is part of the male reproductive tract. Prostate development depends upon the integration of steroid hormone signals, paracrine interactions between the stromal and epithelial tissue layers, and the actions of cell autonomous factors. Several genes and signalling pathways are known to be required for one or more steps of prostate development including epithelial budding, duct elongation, branching morphogenesis, and/or cellular differentiation. Recent progress in the field of prostate development has included the application of genome-wide technologies including serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), expression profiling microarrays, and other large scale approaches to identify new genes and pathways that are essential for prostate development. The aggregation of experimental results into online databases by organized multi-lab projects including the Genitourinary Developmental Molecular Atlas Project (GUDMAP) has also accelerated the understanding of molecular pathways that function during prostate development and identified links between prostate anatomy and molecular signaling. Rapid progress has also recently been made in understanding the nature and role of candidate stem cells in the developing and adult prostate. This has included the identification of putative prostate stem cell markers, lineage tracing, and organ reconstitution studies. However, several issues regarding their origin, precise nature, and possible role(s) in disease remain unresolved. Nevertheless, several links between prostatic developmental mechanisms and the pathogenesis of prostatic diseases including benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer have led to recent progress on targeting developmental pathways as therapeutic strategies for these diseases.

Prostate Stem Cells in the Development of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer: Emerging Role and Concepts

“…Unlike the murine PSCs, the human PSCs are randomly distributed within the basal epithelial layer throughout the acini and ductal regions of the prostate [51, 52]. In addition to the expression of stem-cell-specific markers, different studies have also shown that PSCs express both basal and luminal cell-specific markers in fetal and adult stages of prostate development [13, 22, 31, 62, 63]. Several studies have proposed the existence of different cell compartments based on stem-cell-driven differentiation hierarchical arrangements within the prostate epithelium [24, 29, 30, 64].…”

“…It is well know that stem cells are required to maintain and repair tissues throughout the lifetime. The requirement to understand the biology of stem cells derived from the prostate is increasing, as new evidence suggests that BPH and PCa may arise from the stem or stem-like cell compartments [11–13]. This review summarises the biology of prostate stem or stem-like cells and their contribution in pathogenesis and development of BPH and PCa.…”

piRNA‐DQ722010 contributes to prostate hyperplasia of the male offspring mice after the maternal exposed to microcystin‐leucine arginine

“…Mouse prostate development initiated during late embryogenesis, the earliest molecular marker of prostate organ determination is expressed in the urogenital sinus epithelium at E15.5. 18 The development process from the urogenital sinus epithelium is followed by a series of developmental steps, including, organ determination, epithelial budding, duct elongation, branching morphogenesis, and cellular differentiation/maturation. 19 Recent reports highlight the pathways involved in prostate development are always reactivated in prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.…”

“…19 Recent reports highlight the pathways involved in prostate development are always reactivated in prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. [18][19][20][21] Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/protien kinase B (AKT) signaling is one of the critical pathways in prostate development, especially in budding branches. 22 Meanwhile, abnormal activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, which is identified to promote hyperplasia and decrease apoptosis, is also common in prostate cancer.…”

Effect of Concurrent Training and Supplementation with β-Hydroxy- β-Methylbutyirate (HMB) on the Prostate: Alterations in the Androgen Receptor and Inflammation

“…However, other pathways may contribute through insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGFb), and others (Powers & Marker, 2013). In the prostate, mTOR (activated by HMB) regulates cellular metabolism by controlling glucose uptake, glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway (Manning & Cantley, 2007).…”