Genetically engineered mouse models to study prostate cancer

Abstract

Genetically engineered mouse models have become fundamental tools in the basic and translational research of prostate cancer. There is a plethora of models available to dissect the genetic alterations and aberrant signaling events associated with human prostate cancer and, furthermore, to investigate new and “personalized” therapies to treat the disease. In this chapter, we discuss some of the models recently and currently used to study prostate cancer in vivo, and some considerations when selecting an appropriate model to investigate particular aspects of the disease. We describe the methods required to isolate prostate tumors and conduct basic characterization of the tumor to determine tumor load and histopathology. We also discuss important aspects to be considered when processing samples for further analysis.