Scientists May Have Discovered Why Men's Prostates Enlarge With Age

Scientists have discovered a distinct subtype of cell in the prostate, and it could help solve the mystery of why the gland enlarges with age.

This natural phenomenon is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and it tends to occur in just one region of the prostate.

But scientists still don't understand why.

Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found a possible culprit hiding around the urethra.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the team has identified a population of prostate cells that are particularly abundant in this region, especially in cases of BPH.

The findings are published in The Journal of Pathology .

"Although BPH affects millions of men worldwide, scientists still do not fully understand why it develops primarily in a region of the prostate known as the transition zone, while other regions of the gland remain relatively unaffected," explains senior author Vasan Yegnasubramanian.