'Finding the sweet spot of prostate-specific antigen' - Lecture

‘Finding the sweet spot of prostate-specific antigen’ is an 'Interdisciplinary Medical & Health Seminar', organized by the Scientific Research Committee and the departments of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. Guinevere S.M. Lageveen-Kammeijer's lecture will focus on the potential of altered prostate-specific antigen glycosylation for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

As an early screening method for prostate cancer (PCa) the concentration of the glycoprotein prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is measured in serum. Unfortunately, this test exhibits low sensitivity, specificity and a poor predictive value. Literature suggests that specific alterations in the glycosylation profile of PSA may provide a solution for a more specific, yet, non-invasive PCa diagnosis.

To gain a better understanding of the glycomic alterations on PSA, this study is focused on the in-depth analysis of the PSA N-glycome derived from the circulation in a highly sensitive manner. Further endeavors are focused on the diagnostic and prognostic potential of altered PSA glycosylation derived from plasma for the early diagnosis of PCa as well as for the differentiation between aggressive and indolent PCa.