LabMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News Expo Clinical Chem. Molecular Diagnostics Hematology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Technology Industry Focus

Pro-neuropeptide Y Identified as Prognostic Biomarker for Aggressive Prostate Cancer

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 07 Feb 2016
Print article
Image: Structure of neuropeptide Y (NPY) (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Image: Structure of neuropeptide Y (NPY) (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
Overexpression of pro-neuropeptide Y (pro-NPY) has been identified as a prognostic biomarker for aggressive prostate cancer.

Pro-NPY is a member of the NPY family. NPY is a secreted protein and is one of the most abundant peptides in the nervous system. NPY can be cleaved into neuropeptide Y and C-flanking peptide of NPY chain, which regulates energy usage, and it is involved in learning, memory processing, and epilepsy. NPY is implicated in the control of feeding and in secretion of gonadotrophin-release hormone. In addition, NPY increases the proportion of energy stored as fat.

Investigators at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) studied cellular processes altered in prostate cancer using system-wide quantitative analysis of changes in protein expression in clinical samples in order to identify prognostic biomarkers for disease aggressiveness.

For this purpose they used mass spectrometry to perform genome-scale quantitative proteomic profiling of 28 prostate tumors and neighboring nonmalignant tissue in eight cases obtained from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded prostatectomy samples. Two independent cohorts of prostate cancer patients (total of 752 cases) were used for immunohistochemical evaluation of pro-NPY as a prognostic biomarker.

Results revealed that among the 9,000 proteins identified in the study, pro-NPY was found to exhibit high levels in a subgroup of prostate cancer samples. Pro-NPY was found to be overexpressed by at least five-fold in prostate cancer, but this protein was largely absent in other solid tumor types. Overexpression of pro-NPY was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality.

"Our research shows that high pro-NPY levels are very specific to prostate cancer and can serve to predict prostate cancer related death among diagnosed patients who have not received surgical treatment," said senior author Dr. Amilcar Flores-Morales, professor of molecular disease biology at the University of Copenhagen. "So identifying the biomarker pro-NPY could help us identify patients who would benefit from early active treatment, whereby we would also reduce unnecessary treatment of patients who undergo surgery when they have low-grade tumors that for the most part do not put their lives at risk. In the end, due to side effects, this could prove more harmful than beneficial to patients."

The study was published in the December 2, 2015, online edition of the journal European Urology.

Related Links:

University of Copenhagen


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test
GPP-100 Anti-CCP Kit
New
Gold Member
TORCH Panel Rapid Test
Rapid TORCH Panel Test

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The 3D printed miniature ionizer is a key component of a mass spectrometer (Photo courtesy of MIT)

3D Printed Point-Of-Care Mass Spectrometer Outperforms State-Of-The-Art Models

Mass spectrometry is a precise technique for identifying the chemical components of a sample and has significant potential for monitoring chronic illness health states, such as measuring hormone levels... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The CAPILLARYS 3 DBS devices have received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance (Photo courtesy of Sebia)

Next Generation Instrument Screens for Hemoglobin Disorders in Newborns

Hemoglobinopathies, the most widespread inherited conditions globally, affect about 7% of the population as carriers, with 2.7% of newborns being born with these conditions. The spectrum of clinical manifestations... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The AI predictive model identifies the most potent cancer killing immune cells for use in immunotherapies (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Predicts Tumor-Killing Cells with High Accuracy

Cellular immunotherapy involves extracting immune cells from a patient's tumor, potentially enhancing their cancer-fighting capabilities through engineering, and then expanding and reintroducing them into the body.... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The T-SPOT.TB test is now paired with the Auto-Pure 2400 liquid handling platform for accurate TB testing (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Integrated Solution Ushers New Era of Automated Tuberculosis Testing

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for 1.3 million deaths every year, positioning it as one of the top killers globally due to a single infectious agent. In 2022, around 10.6 million people were diagnosed... Read more