High-resolution NMR spectroscopy of human body fluids and tissues in relation to prostate cancer

High-resolution NMR spectroscopic studies of prostate tissue extracts, prostatic fluid, seminal fluid, serum and urine can be used for the detection of prostate cancer, based on the differences in their metabolic profiles. Useful diagnostic information is obtained by the detection or quantification of as many metabolites as possible and comparison with normal samples. Only a few studies have shown the potential of high-resolution in vitro NMR of prostate tissues. A survey of the literature has revealed that studies on body fluids, such as urine and serum, in relation to prostate cancer are rare. In addition, the potential of NMR of nuclei other than (1)H, such as (13)C and (31)P, has not been exploited fully. The metabolomic analysis of metabolites, detected by high-resolution NMR, may help to identify metabolites which could serve as useful biomarkers for prostate cancer detection. Such NMR-derived biomarkers would not only help in prostate cancer detection and in understanding the in vivo MRS metabolic profile, but also to investigate the biochemical and metabolic changes associated with cancer. Here, we review the published research work on body fluids in relation to prostate and prostate tissue extracts, and highlight the potential of such studies for future work.