Genetic predisposition and mesenchymal‐epithelial interactions in ras + myc—induced carcinogenesis in reconstituted mouse prostate

Abstract

Using a mouse prostate reconstitution (MPR) model system, strain-specific responses to the ras and myc oncogenes were investigated. When ras + myc were introduced into both the mesenchymal and epithelial compartments of the urogenital sinus, poorly differentiated prostate cancer was produced at a high frequency (>90%) in inbred C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, under similar conditions, inbred BALB/c MPRs formed benign prostatic hyperplasia that converted to cancer at a low frequency (ras + myc—initiated C57BL/6 epithelium from benign hyperplasia to malignant carcinoma.