Genetic variant as a selection marker for anti-prostate stem cell antigen immunotherapy of bladder cancer

J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Jan 2;105(1):69-73. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djs458. Epub 2012 Dec 23.

Abstract

A monoclonal antibody against prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) has emerged as a novel cancer therapy currently being tested in clinical trials for prostate and pancreatic cancers, but this treatment is likely to be efficient only in patients with PSCA-expressing tumors. The present study demonstrates that a genetic variant (rs2294008) discovered by bladder cancer genome-wide association studies is a strong predictor of PSCA protein expression in bladder tumors, as measured by two-sided multivariable linear regression (P = 6.46×10(-11); n = 278). The association pattern is similar in non-muscle-invasive tumors, stages Ta (P = 3.10×10(-5); n = 173) and T1 (P = 2.64×10(-5); n = 60), and muscle-invasive tumors, stages T2 (P =.01; n = 23) and T3/4 (P =.03; n = 22). The study suggests that anti-PSCA immunotherapy might be beneficial for bladder cancer patients with high tumor PSCA expression, which is statistically significantly associated with the presence of CT and TT genotypes of a common genetic variant, rs2294008. Future clinical studies will be needed to validate PSCA as a therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / immunology*
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / genetics
  • GPI-Linked Proteins / immunology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / immunology*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / therapy*

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • PSCA protein, human