The EEF1A2 gene expression as risk predictor in localized prostate cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biomarker Discovery
• Prostate Cancer Research

Background:

• Current prostate cancer (PCa) risk stratification relies on clinical stage, Gleason score, and PSA levels, which have limitations.
• There is a need for additional biomarkers for precise pretherapeutic risk prediction and therapy decision-making.
• Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 2 (EEF1A2) has been implicated as a tumor progression driver and potential biomarker.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functional and prognostic relevance of EEF1A2 in prostate cancer.
• To evaluate EEF1A2 as a potential biomarker for risk stratification in localized PCa.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed EEF1A2 expression in PCa patient cohorts (n=40, n=59) and large public datasets (MSKCC, TCGA).
• Correlated EEF1A2 expression with histopathology features and biochemical recurrence (BCR).
• Utilized siRNA to assess EEF1A2's impact on PC3 cell proliferation and migration.

Main Results:

• EEF1A2 was significantly overexpressed in PCa tissue, increasing with tumor stage and Gleason score.
• Overexpression of EEF1A2 correlated with shorter BCR-free survival in both patient cohorts.
• EEF1A2 knockdown impaired PC3 cell migration but not proliferation; expression was independent of PSA levels.

Conclusions:

• EEF1A2 overexpression is frequent in localized PCa and associated with adverse histopathology and shorter recurrence-free survival.
• EEF1A2 shows potential as a valuable biomarker for risk stratification in localized PCa, independent of serum PSA.
• EEF1A2 influences prostate cancer cell migration, suggesting a role in tumor progression.