Application of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to Guide Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) treatment requires personalized systemic therapies.
• Patient response to androgen receptor (AR)-directed therapies like enzalutamide and abiraterone depends on AR-V7 expression.
• Accurate AR-V7 detection is crucial for guiding treatment decisions in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a quantitative assay for measuring AR-V7 protein in serum from mCRPC patients.
• To assess the clinical utility of AR-V7 detection for treatment selection and prognosis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a nanoparticle-enhanced sandwich antibody assay using extrinsic Raman spectroscopy labels (ERLs).
• Utilized surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for assay readout.
• Established assay calibration using AR-V7-expressing cell lysate and correlated protein with mRNA levels.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated quantitative ex vivo measurement of AR-V7 protein in serum from mCRPC patients.
• Achieved distinct separation of PCa patients based on AR-V7 status (positive/negative).
• Showcased a linear calibration curve and correlation between lysate protein and mRNA.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS-based assay provides a reliable method for AR-V7 quantification in patient serum.
• AR-V7 status and levels in serum offer predictive and prognostic value for selecting between hormonal and taxane-based treatments.
• Clinical application of this assay can optimize treatment strategies, potentially improving progression-free and overall survival for advanced prostate cancer patients.