Abstract B059: 3D spatial mapping of developing human prostate glands

The human prostate develops from the urogenital sinus through epithelial bud formation and branching, however the spatial dynamics of progenitor populations during these early stages remain poorly characterized. To addresses this gap, we used a human fetal prostate at 14 weeks of gestation for serial sectioning, yielding approximately 200 sections of 10 µm thickness. Six sections were profiled using spatial transcriptomics with the Visium HD platform, while the remaining sections were H&E-stained for 3D reconstruction of glandular architecture. We mapped transcriptional heterogeneity across developing prostate buds and identified distinct spatial organization of epithelial subdomains with basal-like and luminal-like characteristics. Notably, we also identified a unique cluster of tubule-initiating cells (TIC cells), that have been linked to cancer initiation and androgen-deprivation therapy resistance in adult prostate. This study provides the first high-resolution spatial map of developing human prostate, highlighting the organisation of progenitor populations. Citation Format: Emmanouela Perisynaki. 3D spatial mapping of developing human prostate glands [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Innovations in Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment; 2026 Jan 20-22; Philadelphia PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(2_Suppl):Abstract nr B059.