Cells of origin for cancer: An updated view from prostate cancer

Abstract

The cells of origin for cancer are the cells within tissues that serve as the target for transformation. Understanding the natureof these cells will benefit disease prevention, diagnosis and prognosis. During the past decade, much progress has been made in understanding the cellular origin for prostate cancer. This review aims to summarize the previous findings, describe the most recent results and discuss some controversies and unresolved issues in this field. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.