Affiliations: Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Washington, DC, USA | Cancer Genetics, DVAMC and LCC, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ian Gallicano, Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, 3900 Reservoir Rd., NW, Medical Dental Building, Rm. NE205, Washington, DC 20007, USA. Tel.: +1 202 687 0228; Fax: +1 202 687 1823; E-mail: gig@georgetown.edu.
Abstract: The identification of distinct prostate cancer stem cell biomarkers is necessary as researchers attempt to isolate, characterize, and therapeutically target these tumor initiating cells. However, in reading the current literature it is frequently difficult to discern which biomarkers and cellular characteristics identify prostate cancer stem cells as opposed to the general population of prostate cancer cells or normal prostate stem cells. Within this review, we address this issue by dissecting out the cell surface markers, adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins, signaling pathways, epigenetic modifications, and the effects of androgens that are specific to and help to define the prostate cancer stem cell.
