Prostate fibroblasts enhance androgen receptor splice variant 7 expression in prostate cancer cells

Androgen receptor splice variant (AR‐V) expression has been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) progression to castration‐resistant PCa during androgen deprivation therapy, which reduces androgen production and inhibits androgen action in PCa cells. However, the mechanisms whereby aberrant AR‐V expression increases in PCa are still largely unknown. Fibroblasts in tumor stroma influence PCa initiation and aggressiveness, which may play a crucial role in eliciting genetic changes during malignant transformation in human prostate epithelium. Here, the aim was to determine whether prostate fibroblasts in tumor stroma induce aberrant AR‐V7 expression in PCa cells under low androgen concentration. pcPrF from PCa specimens increases the expression of aberrant AR‐V7 in PCa cells. IL‐8 may be a target for preventing the expression of aberrant AR‐Vs in PCa.