title: Neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer: novel morphological insights and future therapeutic perspectives.
abstract: Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive variant of prostate cancer that commonly arises in later stages of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) The detection of NEPC has clinical implications as these patients are often treated with platinum chemotherapy rather than with androgen receptor targeted therapies. The poor molecular characterization of NEPC accounts in part for the lack of disease specific therapeutics. Several mechanisms are involved in NE differentiation, including inflammation and autophagy, and may actually represent future therapeutic targets for advanced NEPC patients. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence suggests a potential role of circulating tumor cells in the early diagnosis and treatment of NEPC. Here we summarize the recent findings on NEPC pathogenesis and we discuss the ongoing clinical trials and future perspectives for the treatment of NEPC patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinica di Oncologia Medica, AOU Ospedali Riuniti, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy. Electronic address: mattymo@alice.it.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santoni
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche, Clinica di Urologia, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Clinica di Oncologia Medica, AOU Ospedali Riuniti, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burattini
authors.affiliation: Clinica di Oncologia Medica, AOU Ospedali Riuniti, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berardi
authors.affiliation: Section of Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, School of Medicine, United Hospitals, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scarpelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Unit of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cordoba Spain; Fundação Champalimaud, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopez-Beltran
authors.affiliation: Clinica di Oncologia Medica, AOU Ospedali Riuniti, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cascinu
authors.affiliation: Section of Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, School of Medicine, United Hospitals, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montironi
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D064096:Aurora Kinase A / Q000502:physiology; D001343:Autophagy; D063646:Carcinogenesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D055099:Neuroendocrine Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C576917:AURKA protein, human; D064096:Aurora Kinase A
keywords: Androgen deprivation therapy; Carcinoid; Drug resistance; Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma; Neuroendocrine prostate cancer; Small cell carcinoma