In this thesis, in vitro transformation of epithelial human prostate cell cultures is
described. Transformation can be defined as the uptake of any DNA molecule in any
type of cell. Experimentally, transformation of cells may be achieved by the artificial
introduction, also called transfection, of foreign genes. Genomic incorporation of
specific DNA material may lead to the enhancement of cellular replication and growth.
In prostate cancer research, a limiting factor has been the general inability of
longterm in vitro growth of normal and malignant cells from the human prostate
epithelium. By transformation, prostatic cells may become immortalized. Furthermore,
the establishment of immortalized human epithelial prostate cell lines by transfection
of different DNA sequences may be useful for the understanding of initiating and
promoting factors in human prostate carcinogenesis. Inherent changes after the
introduction of immortalizing agents may be determined by detailed characterization
stUdies. This thesis describes the establishment of novel human prostate cell lines
in an attempt to develop an experimental in vitro model of human prostate
carcinogenesis. Current knowledge of several factors involved in prostate cancer and
the implications of the experiments are presented
