B4 androgen ablation: attacking the prostate cancer stem cell.
There is increasing evidence that prostate cancers in rodent models and in men contain a cellular subpopulation that displays stem cell properties. These prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) lack androgen receptor expression and are increased in castration-resistant disease. In this issue of the JCI, a study from Yoshioka et al. demonstrates that PCSCs are regulated by a pathway in which α6β4 integrin amplifies signaling through ErbB2 and c-Met receptors. Targeting this pathway provides a novel therapeutic strategy for hormone refractory prostate cancer.
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Room 6302, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. mwicha@umich.edu
Max S
MS
Wicha
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D039663:Integrin beta4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
D039663:Integrin beta4