Prostate cancer proteomics: Current trends and future perspectives for biomarker discovery.

Cristiana Pistol Tanase,Laura Georgiana Necula,Adrian Preda,Gener Ismail,Elena Codrici,Simona Mihai,Radu Albulescu,Ionela Daniela Popescu,Ana-Maria Enciu

doi:10.18632/oncotarget.14501

Abstract

The clinical and fundamental research in prostate cancer - the most common urological cancer in men - is currently entering the proteomic and genomic era. The focus has switched from one single marker (PSA) to panels of biomarkers (including proteins involved in ribosomal function and heat shock proteins). Novel genetic markers (such as Transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2)-ERG fusion gene mRNA) or prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3) had already entered the clinical practice, raising the question whether subsequent protein changes impact the evolution of the disease and the response to treatment. Proteomic technologies such as MALDI-MS, SELDI-MS, i-TRAQ allow a qualitative/quantitative analysis of the proteome variations, in both serum and tumor tissue. A new trend in prostate cancer research is proteomic analysis of prostasomes (prostate-specific exosomes), for the discovery of new biomarkers. This paper provides an update of novel clinical tests used in research and clinical diagnostic, as well as of potential tissue or fluid biomarkers provided by extensive proteomic research data.

Highlights

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading type of most common diagnosed urological cancer in men, and its prevalence is continuously increasing
This paper provides an overview of current most promising biomarkers identified with the new -omics technologies to help physicians in clinical decision making for PCa diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of therapeutic effect
Several independent studies identified elevated serum levels of miR-141 and miR-375 to be correlated with metastatic PCa. miR-141 and miR-375 were correlated with higher Gleason score and positive lymph node status but more studies are required to confirm the potential of these miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic marker [104]. Another potential non-invasive biomarker for PCa is represented by the presence of methylated GSTP1 DNA in plasma and serum of PCa patients; this epigenetic status was associated with prognosis, advanced AJCC tumor stage, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence after surgery and response to chemotherapy

Summary

Introduction

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading type of most common diagnosed urological cancer in men, and its prevalence is continuously increasing. A number of comparative proteomic studies have been carried out to find specific diagnostic biomarkers able to distinguish PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) as well as indolent from aggressive cancers.

Results

Conclusion