Point-of-Care Prostate Specific Antigen Testing: Examining Translational Progress toward Clinical Implementation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Cancer Biomarkers

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of male mortality, with prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a critical diagnostic biomarker.
• Current laboratory-based PSA immunoassays are accurate but costly, slow, and inaccessible in resource-limited settings.
• There is a significant need for point-of-care (PoC) PSA tests offering rapid, affordable, and accurate results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review the translational advantages and limitations of emerging laboratory-level and commercial PoC PSA tests.
• To systematically examine electrochemical and optical PSA sensors developed between 2013 and 2023.
• To identify strategies for optimizing the translational potential of new PSA tests for clinical implementation.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of electrochemical and optical PSA sensors from 2013-2023.
• Analysis of translational aspects including accuracy, cost, and accessibility of emerging PoC PSA tests.
• Evaluation of limitations hindering clinical implementation of novel PSA detection methods.

Main Results:

• Emerging PoC PSA tests show promise but often face trade-offs between accuracy, affordability, and accessibility.
• Electrochemical and optical sensor technologies are key areas of development for rapid PSA detection.
• Current advancements highlight potential but require further optimization for widespread clinical adoption.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing emerging PSA tests is crucial for overcoming current diagnostic barriers in prostate cancer.
• Addressing the accuracy-accessibility-affordability triangle is key to successful translation of PoC PSA diagnostics.
• Improved PoC PSA testing can significantly enhance global prostate cancer diagnosis and patient outcomes.