Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered a unique subtype of cells in the prostate that drives prostate enlargement with age. The study was published in The Journal of Pathology.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common urological conditions in men over 50. The prostate enlarges not because its cells swell, but because their numbers increase. The process almost always develops in one specific area — the so-called transition zone surrounding the urethra — narrowing the passage and obstructing urination. Until now, scientists could not explain why cell proliferation begins specifically in this region.
The research team used single-cell RNA sequencing to examine all three major zones of the prostate in 10 patients and analyzed the genetic activity of nearly 130,000 individual cells.
In the transition zone and hyperplastic tissues, the researchers identified a specific population of basal cells, known as WIF1+, which are almost absent from other parts of the gland.
The analysis showed that WIF1+ cells:
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Respond to male sex hormones, including testosterone, and activate prostate growth signals.
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Remodel epithelial and stromal tissues, directly contributing to prostate enlargement.
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Suppress inflammatory processes and the WNT signaling pathway, helping explain why prostate cancer develops much less frequently in the transition zone.
“These cells possess the molecular characteristics of tissue remodeling and, through communication with neighboring cells, establish the unique biological environment of the transition zone,” explains the study’s lead author, Ruilin Wang.
An examination of public databases confirmed the findings: enlarged prostate tissues are characterized by a high concentration of WIF1+ cells and an altered genetic profile. If further studies definitively establish the direct role of these cells in the development of hyperplasia, they could provide the pharmaceutical industry with a precise target for new drugs.
