Researchers from Purdue University have recently synthesized a molecule that locates and binds to the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) - a protein that is found on the membrane of more than 90% of all prostate cancers - giving promise of targeted drug treatment.

"Currently none of the drugs available to treat prostate cancer are targeted, which means they go everywhere in the body as opposed to only the tumor, and so are quite toxic for the patient," said Philip Low, a member of the Purdue Cancer Center, and leader of the team. "By being able to target only the cancer cells, we could eliminate toxic side effects of treatments. In addition, the ability to target only the cancer cells can greatly improve imaging of the cancer to diagnose the disease, determine if it has spread or is responding to treatment."

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, according to the American Cancer Society. It is estimated that about 192,280 new cases will be diagnosed and 27,360 men will die of prostate cancer in the United States this year.

There also is potential for the targeting molecule to be used to attack the vasculature of solid tumors of other types of cancers, Low said.

Two papers detailing the work of the Purdue team were published in the June 1 issue of Molecular Pharmaceutics.

For more details, see the article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161306.htm