*2.1. Materials*

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and anti-androgen bicalutamide were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC. (St. Louis, MO, USA). Recombinant human EGF, FGF-2, FGF-7, FGF-10, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), IGF-1, transforming growth factor (TGF) β1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and IL-6 were purchased from PeproTech, Inc. (Rocky Hill, NJ, USA). Rabbit polyclonal anti-PSA and mouse monoclonal anti-neuron-specific enolase (NSE; BBS/NC/V1-H14) antibodies were purchased from Dako Cytomation (Copenhagen, Denmark). Rabbit polyclonal anti-AR (N-20) and anti-EGFR (1005) antibodies were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA, USA). Rabbit polyclonal anti-CD31 and anti-Ki-67 and rabbit monoclonal anti-AR splice variant 7 (AR-V7; EPR15656) antibodies were purchased from Abcam Inc. (Cambridge, MA, USA). Rabbit monoclonal anti-phospho-STAT3 (Tyr705) (D3A7), anti-STAT3 (D3Z2G), anti-phospho-Akt (Ser473) (D9E), and anti-Akt (pan) (C67E7) antibodies were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. (Beverly, MA, USA). Rabbit polyclonal anti-p44/42 MAPK and mouse monoclonal anti-phospho-p44/42 MAPK (Thr202/Tyr204) (E10) antibodies were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. Mouse monoclonal anti-β-actin (AC-15) antibodies were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC.
