title: A neuroendocrine/small cell prostate carcinoma xenograft-LuCaP 49.
abstract: The late stages of progression of prostate carcinoma are typically characterized by an androgen-insensitive, rapidly proliferative state. Some late-stage tumors are composed predominantly of neuroendocrine cells. Virtually no animal models of a neuroendocrine/small cell variant of prostate carcinoma are available for experimental studies. We report a human neuroendocrine/small cell prostate carcinoma xenograft that was developed from a nodal metastasis of a human prostate carcinoma and that has been propagated as serial subcutaneous implants in severe combined immunodeficient mice for >4 years. Designated LuCaP 49, all tumor passages exhibit a neuroendocrine/small cell carcinoma phenotype-insensitivity to androgen deprivation, expression of neuroendocrine proteins, lack of expression of prostate-specific antigen or androgen receptor, and an unusually rapid growth (a doubling time of 6.5 days) for prostate cancer xenografts. Genetically this tumor exhibits loss of heterozygosity for the short arm of chromosome 8 and has a complex karyotype. This xenograft should prove to be useful in the investigation of mechanisms underlying the androgen-insensitive state of progressive prostate carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. ltrue@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Lawrence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: True
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buhler
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clegg
authors.forename: Jill A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Macoska
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Norwood
authors.forename: Alvin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vessella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous