Grigore, Alexandru DanBen-Jacob, EshelFarach-Carson, Mary C.2016-03-242016-03-242015Grigore, Alexandru Dan, Ben-Jacob, Eshel and Farach-Carson, Mary C.. "Prostate cancer and neuroendocrine differentiation: more neuronal, less endocrine?." <i>Frontiers in Oncology,</i> 5, (2015) Frontiers Media S.A.: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2015.00037.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/88646Neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) marks a structural and functional feature of certain cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa), whereby the malignant tissue contains a significant proportion of cells displaying neuronal, endocrine, or mixed features. NED cells produce, and can secrete, a cocktail of mediators commonly encountered in the nervous system, which may stimulate and coordinate cancer growth. In PCa, NED appears during advanced stages, subsequent to treatment, and accompanies treatment resistance and poor prognosis. However, the term "neuroendocrine" in this context is intrinsically vague. This article seeks to provide a framework on which a unified view of NED might emerge. First, we review the mutually beneficial interplay between PCa and neural structures, mainly supported by cell biology experiments and neurological conditions. Next, we address the correlations between PCa and neural functions, as described in the literature. Based upon the integration of clinical and basic observations, we suggest that it is legitimate to seek for true neural differentiation, or neuromimicry, in cancer progression, most notably in PCa cells exhibiting what is commonly described as NED.engThis is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.Journal articlechromogranin Ainterleukin-6neural differentiationneuroendocrine differentiationprostate cancerhttp://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2015.00037