TY  - JOUR
TI  - Non-Enzymatic Isolation of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts From Human Prostate Tumor Explants
AU  - Gangarossa, Giulia 
AU  - Grillo, Caterina 
AU  - Roccabianca, Sara 
AU  - Pranzini, Erica 
AU  - Iozzo, Marta 
AU  - Venditti, Giacomo 
AU  - Bertoli, Greta 
AU  - Ippolito, Luigi 
AU  - Giannoni, Elisa 
AU  - Comito, Giuseppina 
AU  - Chiarugi, Paola 
VL  - 16
IS  - 5
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/05
SP  - e5614
C1  - Bio-protocol 2026;16:e5614
DO  - 10.21769/BioProtoc.5614
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.5614
AB  - Prostate carcinoma (PCa) progression is strongly influenced by the surrounding tumor microenvironment, where cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) represent the most abundant and functionally relevant stromal population. Despite their importance, the lack of stable cell lines representing CAF phenotypes limits the study of stromal–tumor interactions. To address this limitation, we provide an optimized protocol for isolating CAFs from fresh human PCa biopsies based on a mechanical procedure exploiting the specific CAF ability to migrate out from the tumor explants. This approach preserves tissue architecture and maintains CAF viability and phenotype. The resulting ex vivo CAF cultures provide a suitable model to investigate CAF biology within the tumor microenvironment.
KW  - Prostate cancer
KW  - Cancer-associated fibroblasts
KW  - Fibroblast activation
KW  - Primary cultures
KW  - Explant culture
JF  - Bio-protocol
SN  - 2331-8325
PB  - Bio-protocol LLC.
BIO101  - False