Degree
Master of Science
Program
Microbiology and Immunology
Supervisor
Dr. Hon Leong
Abstract
There are few protein-based biomarkers to accurately distinguish between patients with low risk prostate cancer from those with high risk disease in a non-invasive manner. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is used for clinical follow-up of prostate cancer; however, it is not effective as a screening tool. As a result, many men with non-life threatening disease having to undergo unnecessary and painful biopsies. Therefore, there is a dire need for minimally invasive platforms for monitoring patients with clinically significant prostate cancer. Prostate cell microparticles (PCMPs) released by prostate epithelial cells into plasma are a potential source of biomarkers specific for prostate cancer. I undertook a translational prostate cancer research project to detect biomarkers expressed in PCMPs isolated from patient plasmas representing low and high grade prostate cancer, with the goal to differentiate patients. These novel biomarkers will offer a non−invasive means to differentiate between these two disease states.
Recommended Citation
Brett, Sabine, "Discovery of Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers on Prostate Tumor Microparticles for Discriminating Between Low and High Risk Prostate Cancer and Improving Prostate Cancer Screening" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 4547.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/4547