PEAZ-1: A new human prostate neoplastic epithelial cell line

BACKGROUND The generation of prostatic cell lines provides in vitro models for experimental studies of the pathogenesis of prostate carcinoma. Therefore, we established and characterized a new human prostate epithelial cell line, PEAZ‐1 (prostate epithelial Arizona‐1). METHODS The PEAZ‐1 cells were grown from a primary human prostate carcinoma specimen obtained from radical prostatectomy. The isolated cells were characterized by immunobiochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and tumorigenicity studies. RESULTS PEAZ‐1 cells are near diploid, tumorigenic, and androgen independent for cell growth. PEAZ‐1 cells express N‐cadherin, α‐ and β‐catenins, and p120 at cell–cell contacts, cytoplasmic laminin 5, vinculin, paxillin, and phosphotyrosine at focal adhesions, vimentin, and cytokeratins 8 and 18. They do not express plakoglobin, E‐cadherin, and PSA, and do not form desmosomes and hemidesomomes. PEAZ‐1 respond to ocadaic acid, a pro‐apoptotic agent, by expression of p53. CONCLUSIONS PEAZ‐1 cells is a human prostate cancer cell line that has a number of mesenchymal characteristics. Prostate 48:79–92, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.