Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men and although effective treatment is possible for early stages, advanced PCa is largely incurable. PSA, the only relevant marker for this disease, has a low predictive value leading to unnecessary biopsies and associated complications. Thus, identification of better biomarkers able to accurately and reliably diagnose PCa at early stages is an important goal in prostate cancer research. Currently a number of potential biomarkers are being investigated as predictors of PCa diagnosis. Using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) we have analyzed in the PCa cell lines PWR-1E, LNCaP and PC3 the expression of a set of potential biomarkers previously identified by us in a microarray gene expression study. So far, we have found in these cell lines several differentially expressed genes, some of which encode extracellular matrix proteoglycans, cell adhesion molecules, genes related to motility, growth factor receptors, and tumor suppressor genes. We are in the process of evaluating these differentially expressed genes in cDNA panels of PCa at different disease stages and in prostate needle biopsy specimens taken from patients at diagnosis before any treatment have been established. The next step will be the validation, at the protein level in serum samples from a cohort of patients, of those genes showing an association to prostate cancer disease stages. A prospective clinical study will be necessary to confirm the clinical relevance of validated genes.

Project code: 110745921483. Supported by Colciencias Grant # RC No. 462-2008 awarded to Niradiz Reyes.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):A24.