Prostate stem cell antigen: a prospective therapeutic and diagnostic target

Cancer Lett. 2009 May 18;277(2):126-32. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.08.034. Epub 2008 Oct 5.

Abstract

The development of novel clinical tools to combat cancer is an intense field of research and recent efforts have been directed at the identification of proteins that may provide diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic applications due to their restricted expression. To date, a number of protein candidates have emerged as potential clinical tools in the treatment of prostate cancer. Discovered over ten year ago, prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) is a cell surface antigen that belongs to the Ly-6/Thy-1 family of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins. PSCA is highly overexpressed in human prostate cancer, with limited expression in normal tissues, making it an ideal target for both diagnosis and therapy. Several studies have now clearly correlated the expression of PSCA with relevant clinical benchmarks, such as Gleason score and metastasis, while others have demonstrated the efficacy of PSCA targeting in treatment through various modalities. The purpose of this review is to present the current body of knowledge about PSCA and its potential role in the treatment of human prostate cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / metabolism*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Male
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / immunology
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / therapy

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • PSCA protein, human