The progression of prostate cancer is accompanied by the breakdown of normal epithelial-ductal architecture. This breakdown is attributable to the loss of normal homeostatic interactions between the epithelial and stromal compartments of prostatic tissue. Complex in vitro models, unlike basic monolayer cultures, are capable of representing several cellular compartments and 3D glandular architecture to study these processes. Such models complement existing animal models because they are less complex than a whole animal and therefore more easily manipulated. Moreover, employing human primary cell cultures for in vitro models is likely to be more informative than studying animal cells or systems, particularly in the prostate where orga-nogenesis may differ between mouse and human.
