MicroRNA profiling in prostate cancer and prostate derived holoclone cell model

Abstract

Prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease and is the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumour and the second most common cause of cancer deaths in western males. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Irish males. Stem-like cells have been identified in several malignancies including prostate cancer and are thought to drive primary tumourgenesis through self-renewal and differentiation. Additionally, persistence of stem cells post-therapeutic intervention has been proposed as an explanation for metastasis and recurrence. Holoclones are a tightly packed clone of small cells generally thought to contain stem cells and progenitors. The aim of this study was to generate an expression profile of holoclone derived cell lineage in prostate cancer.