부산대학교 도서관

Identification of defined epithelial cell populations with progenitor properties is critical for understanding prostatic development and disease. Here, we demonstrate that Sox2 expression is enriched in the epithelial cells of the proximal prostate adjacent to the urethra. We use lineage tracing of Sox2‐positive cells during prostatic development, homeostasis, and regeneration to show that the Sox2 lineage is capable of self‐renewal and contributes to prostatic regeneration. Persisting luminal cells express Sox2 after castration, highlighting a potential role for Sox2 in cell survival and castration‐resistance. In addition to revealing a novel progenitor population in the prostate, these data implicate Sox2 as a regulatory factor of adult prostate epithelial stem cells. StemCells2019;37:690–700 Sox2‐positive prostate cells give rise to both basal and luminal epithelial cells that are resistant to host castration. These data implicate Sox2 a potentially critical mediator of prostate stem cells and castration‐resistance.