Secreted caveolin as a marker for prostate cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer cells secrete cav-1 and that secreted cav-1 can stimulate viability and clonal growth in prostate cancer cells that do not express cav-1. The concept of a secreted autocrine or paracrine factor that directly contributes to androgen resistance in prostate cancer is novel and represents an efficient mechanism for maximizing resistance to various pro-apoptotic stimuli that metastatic cells often encounter during the highly inefficient process of metastasis. The detection of secreted cav-1 in patient sera has significant potential for clinical utility. Since, unlike PSA, secreted cav-1 is linked to malignant characteristics of prostate cancer cells, serum cav-1 has a unique prognostic and diagnostic capacity. The levels of cav-1 protein within prostate cancer tissues were evaluated directly using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR as well as serum cav-1 levels in men who undergo radical prostatectomy with lymph node dissection. This identified prostate cancer related cav-1 as a bio-marker with unique clinical potential including independent value in predicting biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy and prognostic significance. Cav-1 can also provide clinically useful prognostic information prior to surgery (biopsy and serum cav-1), is useful as a prognostic bio-marker, and also for the ability to predict the recurrence of prostate cancer.

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