Monolayer cultures of human prostatic cells.

The objective of this study was to isolate, characterize, and preserve normal prostatic epithelial and carcinoma cell lines. To date, four specimens have been acquired from patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy. Culture attempts have been successful, yielding a total of 32 cell lines. Three of these lines have been examined thus far and were found to have clearly demonstrable tartrate-inhibitable acid phosphatase granules by histochemical techniques. Several problem areas emerge from these preliminary studies. These involve the difficulty of (a) characterization of the cells as originating from prostatic epithelium, (b) identification of prostatic carcinoma cells, and (c) possible senescence in culture of cell lines.