PSMA Plays Important Role in the Detection of Prostate Cancer
Naomi Haas, MD, discusses the importance of using PSMA, an antigen that is expressed on the cell surface, for the detection of prostate cancer.
Naomi Haas, MD, director, Prostate and Kidney Cancer Program, associate professor, Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the importance of using PSMA, an antigen that is expressed on the cell surface, for the detection of prostate cancer.
PSMA is widely expressed in prostate tissue in cancer, and it isn’t well expressed in normal tissue, Haas says. For that reason, PSMA is a good target because there aren’t as many toxicity concerns with it.
In normal tissue, PSMA is part of the neurotransmission of things, and in intestinal tissue, it helps with folate transfer. People aren’t sure what its function is in prostate tissue, says Haas. However, it an area of important interest at this time based on its high level of expression in prostate cancer.
