Proteins Circulating in Blood Linked to Future Risk of Prostate Cancer

A recent large-scale study has identified proteins in the blood that may indicate a future risk of prostate cancer, including aggressive forms of the disease. Conducted by Oxford Population Health, the research involved over 2,500 men and found biological differences between those later diagnosed with prostate cancer and those who did not.

The study, published in European Urology and presented at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, could help guide future risk assessment efforts. Professor Karl Smith-Byrne, a co-senior author, explained that discovering proteins linked to known prostate cancer driver genes in blood collected years prior may provide new insights into the earliest stages of the disease.

The findings suggest potential biological pathways that could be targeted to prevent aggressive prostate cancer. Among the proteins identified were GZMK, ANKRD1, and proteins associated with immune, adhesion, angiogenesis, and cancer driver-gene pathways. Twelve proteins were linked to prostate cancer diagnoses more than 15 years after the blood sample was collected, with one protein, ANKRD1, consistently associated with several serious forms of the disease.

The study also found links between blood levels of certain proteins and aggressive prostate cancer diagnosed around a decade later, indicating biological changes associated with the future development of the disease. However, the proteins identified are not yet suitable for clinical use and further studies are needed to confirm their potential as risk markers.