June 2016

Urinary peptide signature was recognized at BAUS Annual Scientific Meeting (2016)

Pilot study reporting on a non-invasive biomarker model to distinguish between insignificant and significant prostate cancer (PCa) was awarded with BJU International Prize for the best academic paper!

Approx. 400,000 European men develop prostate cancer every year. The currently used simple PSA screening tests have the strong disadvantage that they also detect insignificant prostate cancer (i.e. unlikely to progress in the absence of treatment) and therefore cause over-diagnosis and costly overtreatment.

In an effort to address the clinical needs for discrimination of insignificant and significant prostate cancer (i.e. life-threatening disease in the absence of treatment), we aim at developing a non-invasive, multiple marker test. Collaborative effort of the CRUK Beatson Institute (Glasgow) and Mosaiques Diagnostics GmbH (Germany) resulted in identification of the urinary peptide signature indicative of insignificant disease.

Preliminary analysis of 236 urine samples using capillary-electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) allowed for identification of 94 differentially excreted urinary biomarkers. Established model showed a discriminatory capacity of 82%, being superior to the classification of individuals based on the PSA level (71%). This findings were initially validated in the independent cohort of 167 patients, showing a discriminatory capacity of 66%. Developed model is comprised of numerous Collagen fragments, which were found substantially increased in significant prostate cancer, possibly indicating tissue invasion. Therefore, defined biomarkers likely reflect the underlying pathophysiology of prostate cancer. Based on this data a novel high throughput one-step CE-MS urine test will be developed to provide a highly sensitive and non-invasive pre-treatment diagnostic test for prostate cancer.

British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST) (@BURSTurology) tweeted last Monday, June 27, 2016:

“Urinary biomarkers in prostate cancer a very well deserving winner of the BAUS academic prize #BAUS16”

(https://twitter.com/BURSTurology/status/747361597857927168?s=09)