Prostate stem cells and cancer stem cells

Abstract

Stem/progenitor cells play central roles in processes of organogenesis and tissue maintenance, whereas cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to drive tumor malignancy. Here, we review recent progress in the identification and analysis of normal prostate stem/progenitor cells as well as putative CSCs in both genetically engineered mouse models as well as in human tissue.We also discuss studies that have investigated the cell type of origin for prostate cancer. In addition, we provide a critical assessment of methodologies used in stem cell analyses and outline directions for future research.