PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To optimize a decellularized prostate tissue model for the maintenance of prostate cancer stem cells.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To investigate the self-renewal and differentiation ability of human prostate cancer stem cells (CSCs) (tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 \[TROP2\]+ cells) in the above mentioned decellularized prostate tissue model.
II. To compare the number of CSCs according to key patient characteristics, including race, age, Gleason, metastasis status, and previous cancer treatment(s).
OUTLINE:
Tissue samples are collected from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia for decellularization and preparation as human extracellular matrix for growing human prostate CSCs. Tissue samples are also collected from patients with prostate cancer for the analysis of TROP2+ cells by flow cytometry.
