Abstract: Prostate cancer continues to represent a major health problem, and yet there is no effective treatment available for advanced metastatic disease. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of more effective treatment modalities that could improve the outcome. Because prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a transmembrane protein, is expressed by virtually all prostate cancers, and its expression is further increased in poorly differentiated, metastatic, and hormone-refractory carcinomas, it is a very attractive target. Molecules targeting PSMA can be labelled with radionuclides to become both diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents. The use of PSMA binding agents, labelled with diagnostic and therapeutic radio-isotopes, opens up the potential for a new era of personalized management of metastatic prostate cancer. ... Read more

Abstract: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer seen in aging males in the Western world, and is a major clinical challenge in uro-oncology due to biological heterogeneity. Recent advances in molecular medicine suggest that the genetic composition of a prostate tumor contributes significantly to the complexity of the disease. An important genetic mechanism underlying biological diversity is alternative pre-mRNA splicing, which is thought to affect ~95% of transcripts derived from protein-encoding genes. During alternative splicing, coding (exons) and non-coding (introns) regions of pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) transcripts derived from a single gene are rearranged to generate several mRNAs species, which are translated into distinct protein isoforms with differing biological functions. Recent emerging evidence suggests that prostate cancer-specific aberrant and alternative splicing may contribute to the biological heterogeneity of the disease. Furthermore, identification of prostate cancer-specific splice variants may yield novel biomarkers and targets for therapy to improve patient care and clinical outcome. ... Read more

Abstract: The role of hormonal therapy in the management of prostate cancer has been known for almost half a century. However, many controversies exist regarding the place and timing of androgen deprivation therapy. An increasing spectrum for the use of androgen deprivation therapy has been assessed, including multimodal treatment with radiation therapy. New approaches to androgen deprivation have been explored, including LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) antagonists and improved depot formulations. Recent evidence about the chemo-sensitivity of prostate cancer has opened avenues for treatment of hormone refractory disease and the combination of hormonal and chemotherapy is being studied at various stages of the disease. We explore the evidence, controversies and future of androgen deprivation therapy and critically reexamine the dogmas surrounding hormone therapy for prostate cancer. ... Read more

Abstract: Late stage hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) is presently incurable. Novel alternatives such as cytoreductive Gene Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (GDEPT) offer great hope: The potential for in situ amplification of cytotoxicity due to GDEPT-associated "bystander effects" has special appeal for patients with prostate cancer, the prostate being dispensable. In this overview, recent developments in various GDEPT systems for treating prostate cancer are described. Research related to the enhancement of in situ GDEPT delivery and prostate cancer-targeting of viral vectors, is reviewed. The scope and progress of synergies between GDEPT and other treatment modalities, traditional and alternate, are discussed. ... Read more

Abstract: Dietary studies of men throughout the world have identified certain foods/food-derived substances that are correlated to prostate cancer risk. While radical modification of cultural dietary habits with the goal of preventing prostate cancer remains challenging, supplementation with certain foods and/or food-derived substances identified as having potential chemopreventative properties may be a feasible approach, particularly for Western cultures. Before such chemopreventative strategies can be recommended to patients, their benefits must be rigorously demonstrated in appropriately designed clinical trials. This paper discusses several agents currently under scientific scrutiny for prostate cancer chemopreventative activities and the data available, thus far. ... Read more

Abstract: Bone metastasis is common among prostate and breast cancers. It often presents as an insurmountable challenge for effective treatments. Redirecting genetically programmed immune cells against metastasized cancer cells via a new technology called "T-body" is explored. ... Read more

Abstract: Cancer, especially breast or prostate cancer, frequently spreads to bone, causing severe pain, fractures, and other life-threatening conditions. The underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed as to why cancer transfers to bone. ... Read more

Other Names: abarelix.

Maker: Praecis Pharmaceuticals.

Disease Treated: Men with advanced prostate cancer who refuse surgical castration and yet for whom treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist is not appropriate.

Approval Status: Approved by the U.S. FDA on November 25, 2003.

Chemical/Biological Nature: PLENAXIS is a synthetic decapeptide, consisting of both natural and artificial amino acids, of 1,416 daltons. It is supplied as a sterile powder which, when mixed with a 0.9% sodium chloride solution, becomes a depot suspension ready for intramuscular injections.

Administration: The single-dose vial of PLENAXIS contains 113 mg of anhydrous peptide and is reconstituted with 2.2 ml of sodium chloride solution. ... Read more

Scientists led by Dr. Brian Liu at the Harvard Medical School discovered a small protein called PCa-24 that was found in fresh prostate tissue from patients with prostate cancer (Zheng Y et al., Cancer 98:2576-2582, Dec. 15, 2003). The finding is promising for the development of a simple blood test for prostate cancer and this might be commercially available within four years.

The small protein, with a molecular weight of 24,783 daltons, was discovered by the surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Researchers determined that PCa-24 was derived from the epithelial cells of the prostate. PCa-24 was detected in 16 out ... Read more

Increasingly, DNA microarray gene expression profiling has been used to study diseases and has generated a large pool of potentially useful data. A potential ‘jewel’ that could be obtained from these data is the disease biomarker that can be identified and quickly applied to diagnostic use. In the April 3, 2002 issue of JAMA, two separate studies showed how this strategy may work in two top cancer killers in men and women, prostate and ovarian cancers respectively.

Dr. Mark Rubin and his team from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor sought after a candidate gene derived from a series of microarray datasets. ... Read more