Identification of stromally expressed molecules in the prostate by Tag profiling of cancer-associated fibroblasts, normal fibroblasts and fetal prostate

The stromal microenvironment plays key roles in prostate development and cancer. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and other stromal cells stimulate tumourigenesis via several mechanisms including the expression of pro-tumourigenic factors. Mesenchyme (embryonic stroma) controls prostate organogenesis, and in some circumstances can re-differentiate prostate tumours. Epithelia are regulated by powerful paracrine signalling from the stroma in both development and disease, and identification of these stromal signals is important. We have applied next-generation Tag profiling to fetal human prostate, normal human prostate fibroblasts (NPFs) and CAFs to identify molecules expressed in prostatic stroma Each sample was used for Tag library construction, by Solexa Inc