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BEHANDLING-God og treffsikker diagnostikk, behandling og rehabilitering

Exploitation of extracellular vesicles for precision diagnostics of prostate cancer.

Alternative title: Bruk av ekstracellulære vesikler for diagnostisering av prostatakreft.

Awarded: NOK 2.7 mill.

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in Europe, where it affects approximately 400,000 men annually. The development of sensitive non-invasive biomarkers for differentiating between indolent prostate cancer and aggressive prostate cancer requiring aggressive treatment represents a great unmet clinical need in the management of the disease. PROSCANEXO is based on the hypothesis that extracellular vesicles in biofluids can be used in prostate cancer diagnosis. PROSCANEXO will develop an ultrasensitive biosensor for the quantification of extracellular vesicles in a rapid and inexpensive way. Moreover, the implementation of RNA biomarkers and protein kinase activity profiling will strengthen the specificity of the integrated biomarker panels. The biomarker panel is expected to prevent unnecessary diagnostic biopsies and reduce monitoring biopsies in patients undergoing active surveillance. PROSCANEXO will therefore have a high impact for prostate cancer patients, the health services and society.

The project has identified a new miRNA signature that supports decision of active surveillance in prostate cancer patients. The project has also actively promoted the use of urine and urinary extracellular vesicles for prostate cancer diagnosis considering the close anatomical proximity of the prostate and the urethra. The project has also summarized work on the use of urinary extracellular vesicles for prostate cancer detection during the last decade and also on the use of nanotechnology for the establishment of diagnostics tests.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common male cancer in Europe, where it affects approximately 400,000 men annually. The development of sensitive and versatile non-invasive biomarker assays for differentiating between benign, indolent PCa and fast progressing PCa requiring aggressive treatment, represents a great unmet clinical need in the management of PCa. PROSCANEXO is based on the hypothesis that the extracellular vesicles (EVs) count and in particular specific PCa-derived EV subpopulations are increased in biofluids of PCa patients, and that their RNA and protein content is specifically changed. EV quantification and molecular profiling can therefore be used for early PCa detection, monitoring the disease and distinguishing aggressive from indolent PCa. The overall aim of PROSCANEXO is to establish technically and clinically validated non-invasive tools for PCa diagnosis and prognosis based on the analysis of EV counts and molecular cargo in patients' biofluids. The employment of an ultrasensitive biosensor for the quantification of EVs will enable unbiased, rapid and inexpensive quantification of PCa-derived EVs and monitoring of EV dynamics during the course of the disease. The implementation of RNA biomarkers and protein kinase activity profiling will strengthen the specificity of the integrated biomarker panels. The biomarker panel is expected to prevent unnecessary diagnostic biopsies and reduce monitoring biopsies in active surveillance. PROSCANEXO will therefore have a high impact for PCa patients, the health services and society.

Funding scheme:

BEHANDLING-God og treffsikker diagnostikk, behandling og rehabilitering