title: Genes upregulated in prostate cancer reactive stroma promote prostate cancer progression in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Marked reactive stroma formation is associated with poor outcome in clinically localized prostate cancer. We have previously identified genes with diverse functions that are upregulated in reactive stroma. This study tests the hypothesis that expression of these genes in stromal cells enhances prostate cancer growth in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of reactive stroma genes in prostate stromal cell lines was evaluated by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and qRT-PCR. Genes were knocked down using stable expression of short-hairpin RNAs (shRNA) and the impact on tumorigenesis assessed using the differential reactive stroma (DRS) system, in which prostate stromal cell lines are mixed with LNCaP prostate cancer cells and growth as subcutaneous xenografts assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine of 10 reactive stroma genes tested were expressed in one or more prostate stromal cell lines. Gene knockdown of c-Kit, Wnt10B, Bmi1, Gli2, or COMP all resulted in decreased tumorigenesis in the DRS model. In all tumors analyzed, angiogenesis was decreased and there were variable effects on proliferation and apoptosis in the LNCaP cells. Wnt10B has been associated with stem/progenitor cell phenotype in other tissue types. Using a RT-PCR array, we detected downregulation of multiple genes involved in stem/progenitor cell biology such as OCT4 and LIF as well as cytokines such as VEGFA, BDNF, and CSF2 in cells with Wnt10B knockdown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that genes upregulated in prostate cancer-reactive stroma promote progression when expressed in prostate stromal cells. Moreover, these data indicate that the DRS model recapitulates key aspects of cancer cell/reactive stroma interactions in prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Pathology and Immunology and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine; and Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dakhova
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ittmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D047368:Tumor Burden; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C491119:WNT10B protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit