Uses complex sugars to detect prostate cancer earlier

Journal of Nephrology and Urology is an Open Access peer-reviewed publication that discusses current research and advancements in diagnosis and management of kidney disorders as well as related epidemiology, pathophysiology and molecular genetics.

A standard Editorial tracking system is utilized for manuscript submission, review, editorial processing and tracking which can be securely accessed by the authors, reviewers and editors for monitoring and tracking the article processing.

The test works by identifying sugars, known as glycans, in blood. These sugars are attached to protein molecules called PSA and are known to undergo distinct but subtle changes when cancer is present in the body.

Particular types of glycans are associated with different cancers but until now, there has been no technology available to detect the glycans in an accurate, timely and sufficiently specific way.

It works by using a synthetic carbohydrate material to create a mould of the specific glycan. These 'receptors' are then fixed in position on a surface so they bind to that glycan, but not to any others.

A new test for prostate cancer is urgently needed because current tests are only able to give an indication of increased PSA in blood samples. This can give false positive results in around 50 per cent of cases. This is because a man's PSA level can become elevated for a number of different reasons, not necessarily related to cancer. In addition, around 25 per cent of men who do have prostate cancer do not have elevated PSA, so the test fails to diagnose these patients.

"Many patients undergoing the PSA test will be falsely diagnosed, causing them be sent for further, more invasive tests, and this places a lot of stress on the patient, as well as being very expensive for health services. Just as worrying, many men have low levels of PSA that do not show up well in tests. By measuring the glycans, however, we can offer diagnoses that are much more precise, not only detecting cancer at an earlier stage, but identifying how aggressive it is too."

The team also hopes to be able to apply the technology to detecting other cancers and has already started to develop a test for ovarian cancer.

"Ovarian cancer is typically detected at a very late stage, when treatment options are very limited, and so survival rates are very low,"Because our test is highly specific, it should be possible to apply it to a number of different types of cancer."

"While at an early stage, this research could make PSA a much more specific and accurate way not only to diagnose prostate cancer, but also to tell who needs urgent treatment and whose cancer is less aggressive and can safely be watched. Ultimately, this could help us cure more men and harm fewer.

Media Contact
Alex Stewart
Managing Editor
Journal of Nephrology and Urology