Scientists at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute and The Institute of Cancer Research found that a protein in urine could be a strong indication of a man’s risk of prostate cancer. The study, published in PloS ONE, looked at the protein microseminoprotein-beta (MSMB), which is produced by normal prostate cells and regulates prostate cell death. If a man has a less-than-normal amount of MSMB, he is more likely to develop prostate cancer. Or, at least, having less of the stuff is linked to a genetic change associated with an increased risk.
At any rate, a new urine test could measure levels of MSMB protein and discover which men are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
"We looked in tissue and urine from over 350 men with and without prostate cancer to find out how much MSMB they had," Hayley Whitaker, the study’s lead author, said in a news release. "We then looked to see who had the genetic change. It was really exciting to find out that the genetic change and the amount of protein were linked.
"The protein is easy to detect because it is found in urine and would potentially be a very simple test to carry out on men to identify those most at risk of developing the disease."
- check out this release for more
- read the paper in PLoS ONE