Cellular biology of prostatic growth factors.

Abstract

The etiology of prostate cancer or of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is essentially not understood. It is becoming clear, however, that major determinants of the malignant or hyperplastic phenotype are various growth-stimulatory or -inhibitory factors and their receptors, whose inappropriate expression or loss disrupts normal regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. Cell culture has been a versatile tool for studying the expression and interaction of growth factors in prostatic cells. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization have provided a view of growth factor expression coupled with histopathology. The eventual definition of autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine pathways of growth regulation in the human prostate will facilitate the design of new preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies.