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Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA): A Potential Theranostic Biomarker in Breast Cancer
Alessandra Virga1, Flavia Foca2, Stefania Cortecchia3
1Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", 47014 Meldola, Italy.
Biomedicines
|March 28, 2026
Summary
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is highly expressed in aggressive breast cancer (BC) subtypes, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for risk stratification. Further research may explore PSMA
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomarker Discovery
- Molecular Pathology
Background:
- Breast cancer (BC) subtype classification is crucial for risk stratification but often insufficient.
- Glutamate Carboxypeptidase-II (GCPII), or prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), is implicated as a potential biomarker for BC aggressiveness.
- PSMA expression has been observed in BC tumor cells and tumor vasculature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential expression of PSMA, Ki67, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) across various breast cancer subtypes.
- To assess the potential of PSMA as a biomarker for breast cancer aggressiveness.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of PSMA, Ki67, and TILs in 22 Luminal A, 47 Luminal B, 9 HER2-positive (HER2+), and 23 triple-negative (TN) breast cancer (BC) samples.
- Statistical analysis to compare expression levels and correlations between biomarkers and BC subtypes.
Main Results:
- Significantly higher median PSMA and Ki67 expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared to Luminal A and B subtypes.
- A positive correlation between PSMA and Ki67 expression was noted in HER2+ tumors (p = 0.035).
- An inverse correlation between PSMA and TILs was observed in Luminal A tumors (p = 0.028).
Conclusions:
- PSMA expression is elevated in more aggressive breast cancer subtypes, indicating its potential utility as a biomarker.
- These findings support further clinical investigation into PSMA's role as a theranostic biomarker for breast cancer patients, particularly those with PSMA-positive PET scans.
