Widespread activation and critical role of EMT and stemness in the neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer (Review).

Abstract

Neuroendocrine (NE) prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive and lethal subtype of prostate cancer. It is typically characterized by the expression of NE markers and the loss of androgen receptor expression. De novo NEPC is rare, accounting for <2% of all prostate cancer cases at diagnosis. More commonly, NEPC arises from prostate adenocarcinoma following androgen deprivation therapy, with 20‑25% of metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancers undergoing NE differentiation due to lineage plasticity. During this transition, pathways associated with epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness are broadly activated, which is considered to be a key driver of NEPC's high metastatic potential, resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and poor prognosis. EMT facilitates metastasis by enhancing cellular motility and invasiveness, while stemness properties contribute to post‑metastatic colonization, immune evasion, therapy resistance and cellular dormancy. As manifestations of cellular plasticity, these processes share overlapping molecular mechanisms. Targeting key regulators within these pathways may offer promising therapeutic strategies for NEPC.