A Serum miR Signature Specific to Low-Risk Prostate Cancer
Abstract
Rationale: Although prostate cancer (PCa) remains the second leading cause of cancer death in men, only ~10% of the 233,000 men who will be diagnosed with PCa in 2014 will die of PCa. Most men diagnosed with PCa will receive aggressive treatment with the intent of cure. Treatment of PCa, either by surgical removal of the prostate or by radiation, may be curative but is not without significant physical risk to the patients. Those risks include infection, erectile dyfunction, incontinence, pain, and infertility. Based on current reports, to save the life of one PCa patient with aggressive disease, 37 men need to be treated; 36 of them with indolent disease. Thus, there is a tremendous clinical need to improve the ability of urologist to accurately identify patients who receive the most benefit by curative treatment and manage the low-risk patients by active surveillance. We previously identified a serum test capable of distinguishing PCa patients who do not have aggressive disease. This test quantifies several microRNAs in blood patients before PCa treatment and was exclusively present in patients without aggressive disease. microRNAs (miRs) are small RNAs that can serve as biomarkers because they are very stable in blood as they are resistant to delays in blood processing and freeze-thaw cycles. Objective: To validate the serum miR test in PCa patients prospectively and determine serum miRs of prostatic origin. Aims: In this new proposal, we will refine this miR panel into a clinically viable molecular test and validate the test prospectively in additional cohorts of PCa patients. In the second part of the study, we will examine whether these serum miRs are coming from the prostate. If the miRs are prostate-derived, they may be involved in the disease process. Clinical Applicability: Our study will contribute to a new era of PCa management in which patients with low risk of having lethal disease are safely and confidently followed by active surveillance instead of aggressive treatment. We estimate that positive results from this proposal can propel this test into the clinic within 5 years. This test can move quickly for several reasons. First, there is an unmet need as there is no noninvasive test currently available to identify low-risk PCa patients. Second, the test requires only a small amount of blood enabling it to be rapidly validated in large groups of PCa patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610382
Entities
People
- Larisa Nonn
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Illinois at Chicago