Modeling the Tumor Microenvironment In Vitro in Prostate Cancer: Current
And Future Perspectives
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in over 50% of the countries
and the third most common malignancy worldwide. The tumor
microenvironment denotes the non-cancerous cells and components present
in the tumor, including the molecules they produce and release. Prostate
cancer proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and drug resistance are
closely associated with the tumor microenvironment. With the continuous
development of in vitro tumor models, they have gradually become an
important tool for recapitulating parental tumors in vivo and studying
the reciprocal interactions between tumors and their microenvironment.
In this review, we describe significant in vitro models of prostate
cancer, analyze the research results on incorporating the tumor
microenvironment into these models, and compare their advantages and
disadvantages. Furthermore, we highlight the future developmental
direction of prostate cancer in vitro model research according to the
hotspots of in vitro model research in other cancer types to facilitate
precision medicine in prostate cancer.