Scientists May Have Discovered Why Men's Prostates Enlarge With Age
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a specific subtype of prostate cell that may explain why benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs in the transition zone of the prostate. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of why the gland enlarges in men over 50.
Why it matters
BPH is the most common prostate issue in aging men, and identifying the cellular mechanism behind it could improve future treatments.
(Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library RF/Getty Images) 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.
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