Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States.
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States.
Stem Cells. 2024 Jun 14;42(6):526-539. doi: 10.1093/stmcls/sxae025.
To resist lineage-dependent therapies such as androgen receptor inhibition, prostate luminal epithelial adenocarcinoma cells often adopt a stem-like state resulting in lineage plasticity and phenotypic heterogeneity. Castrate-resistant prostate adenocarcinoma can transition to neuroendocrine (NE) and occasionally to amphicrine, co-expressed luminal and NE, phenotypes. We developed castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patient-derived organoid models that preserve heterogeneity of the originating tumor, including an amphicrine model displaying a range of luminal and NE phenotypes. To gain biological insight and to identify potential treatment targets within heterogeneous tumor cell populations, we assessed the lineage hierarchy and molecular characteristics of various CRPC tumor subpopulations. Transcriptionally similar stem/progenitor (St/Pr) cells were identified for all lineage populations. Lineage tracing in amphicrine CRPC showed that heterogeneity originated from distinct subclones of infrequent St/Pr cells that produced mainly quiescent differentiated amphicrine progeny. By contrast, adenocarcinoma CRPC progeny originated from St/Pr cells and self-renewing differentiated luminal cells. Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) was composed almost exclusively of self-renewing St/Pr cells. Amphicrine subpopulations were enriched for secretory luminal, mesenchymal, and enzalutamide treatment persistent signatures that characterize clinical progression. Finally, the amphicrine St/Pr subpopulation was specifically depleted with an AURKA inhibitor, which blocked tumor growth. These data illuminate distinct stem cell (SC) characteristics for subtype-specific CRPC in addition to demonstrating a context for targeting differentiation-competent prostate SCs.
为了抵抗依赖谱系的治疗方法,如雄激素受体抑制,前列腺腔上皮腺癌细胞经常采用类似干细胞的状态,导致谱系可塑性和表型异质性。去势抵抗性前列腺腺癌可以向神经内分泌(NE)转化,偶尔也可以向双能性,同时表达腔和 NE 的表型转化。我们开发了去势抵抗性前列腺癌(CRPC)患者来源的类器官模型,这些模型保留了起始肿瘤的异质性,包括显示一系列腔和 NE 表型的双能性模型。为了深入了解生物学机制,并在异质性肿瘤细胞群体中识别潜在的治疗靶点,我们评估了各种 CRPC 肿瘤亚群的谱系层次结构和分子特征。所有谱系群体都鉴定出转录上相似的干细胞/祖细胞(St/Pr)。双能性 CRPC 的谱系追踪表明,异质性源于罕见 St/Pr 细胞的不同亚克隆,这些亚克隆主要产生静止分化的双能性后代。相比之下,腺癌 CRPC 后代起源于 St/Pr 细胞和自我更新的分化腔细胞。神经内分泌前列腺癌(NEPC)几乎完全由自我更新的 St/Pr 细胞组成。双能性亚群富含分泌腔、间充质和恩扎卢胺治疗持续性特征,这些特征是临床进展的特征。最后,用 AURKA 抑制剂特异性耗尽双能性 St/Pr 亚群,从而阻断肿瘤生长。这些数据阐明了特定 CRPC 亚型的不同干细胞(SC)特征,同时还证明了针对分化能力强的前列腺 SC 的治疗背景。
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