Biomarker for prostate cancer may be separated for treatment

Scientists at UCLA had been able to isolate a biomarker for prostate cancer cells do that it will become easier to treat the disease.

The biomarker protein, which was hidden inside the cells, can now be moved to a different location from where it can go into the blood. This will make it possible for the medical professionals to treat the prostate cancer disease with both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, for better and more effective way to kill the cancerous cells.

The researchers had placed the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) at a new location for the immunotherapy that is carried by the blood, to reach the biomarker. This had been done by a chemotherapy agent, which destroys the microtubules.

Cancer of the prostate glands is one of the deadlier cancers that affect males mostly above 40 years of age. The new research may make the worst cases of prostate cancer treatable and curable as well. Using both chemotherapy and immunotherapy together may also benefit those patients in whom the cancer had spread from prostate gland to other parts of the body.

The research results are published in the current issue of the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

Reference: UCLA, News release, May 2005 , prostate cancer, biomarker, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, microtubules, cancerous cells