Emerging biomarkers of prostate cancer (Review)

Abstract

Prostate cancer progression involves activation of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, apoptosis, anoikis, angiogenesis and metastasis. The current PSA-based test for the diagnosis of prostate cancer lacks sensitivity and specificity, resulting in missed diagnoses and unnecessary biopsies. Intense research efforts to identify serum and tissue biomarkers will expand the opportunities to understand the functional activation of cancer-related pathways and consequently lead to molecular therapeutic targeting towards inhibition of tumor growth. Current literature describes multiple biomarkers that indicate the properties of prostate cancer including its presence, stage, metastatic potential and prognosis. Used singly, assays detecting these biomarkers have their respective shortcomings. Several recent studies evaluating the clinical utilization of multiple markers show promising results in improving prostate cancer profiling. This review discusses the current understanding of biomarker signature cluster-based approaches for the diagnosis and therapeutic response of prostate cancer derived from panels of biomarker tests that provide a selective molecular signature characteristic of the tumor. As these signatures are robustly defined and their pathways are exhaustively dissected, prostate cancer can be more accurately diagnosed, characterized, staged and targeted with inhibitory antitumor agents. The growing promise surrounding the recent evidence in identifying and utilizing such biomarker panels, will lead to improvement in cancer prognosis and management of the therapeutic response of prostate cancer patients.

Exploring glyoxalase 1 expression in prostate cancer tissues: Targeting the enzyme by ethyl pyruvate defangs some malignancy‐associated properties

“…Clinically, the positive correlation between GLO1 immunoreactivity and Gleason/Helpap score and the nuclear proliferation marker Ki‐67 indicate that GLO1 expression is associated with tumor progression and advanced stages of the disease. Prostate cancer cells with high GLO1‐expression were found to liberate the enzyme into the blood allowing the use of GLO1 as supplemental biomarker in addition to PSA to predict prostate cancer .…”

“…Clinically, the positive correlation between GLO1 immunoreactivity and Gleason/Helpap score and the nuclear proliferation marker Ki-67 indicate that GLO1 expression is associated with tumor progression and advanced stages of the disease. Prostate cancer cells with high GLO1-expression were found to liberate the enzyme into the blood allowing the use of GLO1 as supplemental biomarker in addition to PSA to predict prostate cancer [28,32,33]. Metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes have been shown to modulate prostate cancer risk and metabolic factors such as inflammatory cytokines, adipokines, growth factors, and androgens may promote carcinogenesis [34].…”

The αvβ6 Integrin Is Transferred Intercellularly via Exosomes

“…Although detection of exosomal integrins offers, in addition to mouse and cell line models (41), a new tool to study aberrations occurring in cancer progression, it also underlines a great potential for diagnosis and risk stratification (42). The exosome-mediated transfer mechanism described here may have wider significance for various types of cancer.…”

Berberine targets epidermal growth factor receptor signaling to suppress prostate cancer proliferation in vitro

“…The majority of cases of prostate cancer present as localized disease and may be cured by surgery and radiation (1,2). Until recently, there were only three FDA-approved agents (estramustine, mitoxantrone and docetaxel) for chemotherapy in prostate cancer (3)(4)(5). However, numerous patients present with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, which is currently incurable.…”