Looking for Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Early Detection

Abstract

Cancer is a diverse disease and each cancer has different mechanism. To find a highly sensitive and specific biomarker that can reflect a single cancer, is a challenge for detection or therapeutic purpose. Gene expression profiling, proteomics, and immunology are used with increasing frequency as tools for cancer screening. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is widely used as a screening test in prostate cancer. However, low specificity of serum PSA leads to many false-negative and false-positive results. We note that maintaining high specificity (low false-positive rates) is a very high priority for population screening. A small false-positive rate can translate into a large number of people who will suffer unnecessary costly further diagnosis and psychological stress. So, it is necessary that a biomarker of prostate cancer be both sensitive and specific.¹ Beyond prognosis for prostate cancer, it is also very important to find molecular biomarkers correlating to prostate cancer disease progression. True et al. reported a molecular signature of 86 genes correlating to the Gleason grading system for prostate adenocarcinoma.² Laxman showed a multiplex biomarker analysis of urine, which included six genes for prostate cancer detection.³ Recently, Chinnaiyan’s lab demonstrated a robust pipeline for the discovery of novel gene chimaeras by high-throughput sequencing.⁴ Metabolic profiling has shown a potential role for sarcosine in prostate cancer progression by using a combination of high-throughput liquid-and-gas-chromatography-based mass spectrometry in Chinnaiyan’s group.⁵