Introduction

Prostate cancer represents the most common malignancy and the second cause of cancer-related death for men worldwide. Nowadays, prostate biopsy analysis is routinely used to detect prostate cancer and it is recommended in subjects with increased circulating levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). However, 75% of the biopsied subjects due to the PSA test are healthy. A more efficient screening test is therefore required.

Technical features

Even before the appearance of clinical symptoms, the immune response against prostate cancer activates inflammatory pathways. Hence, immune mediators produced by prostate cancer, stromal cells, or prostate cancer-infiltrating leukocytes can be detected in the urine and may represent novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and follow up of prostate cancer. This approach could avoid useless invasive investigations. The inventors are also developing a prototype for a biosensor that can perform a rapid analysis of these analytes in a urinary sample.

Possible Applications

• Early diagnosis and prognosis of prostatic cancer;
• Performed on urinary samples.

Advantages

• High sensitivity;
• Non invasive test, fast and cheap;
• Early diagnostic capability.