Researchers from Cordoba are looking for more reliable markers to detect prostate cancer

It is often used, but it is not always functional, so the Maimonides Institute Biomedical Research (Imibik) is now working to find new biomarkers that will be more accurate and correct the errors that the PSA may give.

He explained it Raoul Luquetresearcher from Imibic and the University of Cordoba, who assured that PSA is used to diagnose prostate cancer in patients who do not have it, and vice versa in men who have very low levels, and this is only perceived when it is already quite advanced.

The idea is to find biomarkers which replace PSA or can be used in conjunction with it, but remove the limitations it currently poses. This is why the biomarkers being studied can help in diagnosis or prognosis, as well as therapeutic purposesthat is, places where action can be taken to stop the disease.

At Imibik, they are at the preclinical research stage and are in contact with other laboratories to confirm the results. The route is currently being studied molecular engineering which controls gene expression. “There are drugs that can inhibit this mechanism, or we could find diagnostic biomarkers and stop the progression in the first place,” said Raoul Luque.

This is something that is naturally present in all cells, but is highly deregulated in prostate cancer, and attempts are now being made to modulate these components for diagnosis, as well as to find new ones. treatment

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Treatment resistance

Prostate cancer can sometimes be, the researcher emphasized, a complex pathology that stable to the most common methods of treatment, so that “when the patient thinks that he can be cured, he runs away again.”

Head of the hospital’s urological service Queen Sofia There’s a message of some hope from Cordoba: prostate cancer can be treated “with healing intentionand in the case of cancer, these are big words. He stressed the importance of early diagnosis, “which is very simple” for men over 50 or those younger who have a family history in parents or siblings.

The primary care doctor will ask for tests or medical history or assess whether there is a risk or not. “If there is any suspicion, the patient will go to urology for diagnosis

“, said Pablo Campos, speaking about the prevention and prevention of risk factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle or tobacco smoking.

Screening starting at age 50 is currently a recommendation, but in the future it may be limited to a “screening” process for all men, as is currently the case with breast or cervical screening, which covers all women.