FGF signaling in prostate tumorigenesis--new insights into epithelial-stromal interactions.

Members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family are believed to play critical roles during organogenesis and carcinogenesis via signaling between epithelial and stromal compartments. Two new studies in this issue of Cancer Cell underscore the importance of FGF signaling in mediating epithelial-stromal interactions during prostate carcinogenesis. These papers show that deregulated FGF signaling in mouse models of prostate cancer leads to cancer progression and promotes an epithelial-mesenchymal transition, suggesting that FGF receptor inhibitors may have therapeutic value for prostate cancer treatment.