In vitro model of human prostate carcinogenesis

In this thesis, in vitro transformation of epithelial human prostate cell cultures is described. Transformation can be defined as the uptake of any DNA molecule in any type of cell. Experimentally, transformation of cells may be achieved by the artificial introduction, also called transfection, of foreign genes. Genomic incorporation of specific DNA material may lead to the enhancement of cellular replication and growth. In prostate cancer research, a limiting factor has been the general inability of longterm in vitro growth of normal and malignant cells from the human prostate epithelium. By transformation, prostatic cells may become immortalized. Furthermore, the establishment of immortalized human epithelial prostate cell lines by transfection of different DNA sequences may be useful for the understanding of initiating and promoting factors in human prostate carcinogenesis. Inherent changes after the introduction of immortalizing agents may be determined by detailed characterization stUdies. This thesis describes the establishment of novel human prostate cell lines in an attempt to develop an experimental in vitro model of human prostate carcinogenesis. Current knowledge of several factors involved in prostate cancer and the implications of the experiments are presented.