Planar Polarity Factors as Potential Tumor Suppressors in the Urogenital Tract

Signaling pathways, which function in defining the shape and interactions between epithelial cells also play a role in maintaining tissue integrity, and can affect the progression of benign hyperplasias and cancers. For instance, disruption of the apical/basal (A/B) epithelial polarity can promote epithelial to mesenchymal transition, which is the essential step in cancer microinvasion. Recent studies uncovered that disruptions in the epithelial polarity, perpendicular to the A/B axis, known as the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP), can lead to serious pathohistological abnormalities, including hyperplastic and neoplastic disorders. In this review, I will summarize the recent advances in our understanding of the PCP effects in organ development and disease, in particular, in relation to the reproductive and urogenital tracts, and the prostate gland.