Figure 2.

Proposed metastatic stroma associated with prostate cancer growth in the bone. Cancer cells can stimulate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate in osteoblasts, fibroblasts, and adipocytes. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) release factors, including SDF-1 and TGFβ, which stimulate cancer cell invasion and proliferation. In addition, cancer associated adipocytes, through the release of lipids and cytokines, can sustain cancer growth and induce an osteotropic phenotype. These interactions could influence the crosstalk between cancer cells and osteoblasts/osteoclasts (OBLs, OCL) and the formation of bone lesions. The increased differentiation of MSCs in osteoblasts induced by PCa cells could shift the balance of bone homeostasis towards aberrant mineralization.