Epithelial plasticity in prostate cancer: principles and clinical perspectives

• Epithelial plasticity (EP) plays a key role in prostate cancer (PC) metastasis.
• There is extensive interplay between androgen receptor (AR) signaling and EP.
• EP influences responses to PC therapies.
• Targeting EP may be an effective therapeutic strategy.

Over the past decade, the capacity of cancer cells to oscillate between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, termed epithelial plasticity (EP), has been demonstrated to play a critical role in metastasis. This phenomenon may be particularly important for prostate cancer (PC) progression, since recent studies have revealed interplay between EP and signaling by the androgen receptor (AR) oncoprotein. Moreover, EP appears to play a role in dictating the response to therapies for metastatic PC. This review will evaluate preclinical and clinical evidence for the relevance of EP in PC progression and consider the potential of targeting and measuring EP as a means to treat and manage lethal forms of the disease.