A paper in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes the gene and its potential value. The protein appears to be more prevalent on prostate cancer cells than on normal prostate cells, so antibodies can seek out high concentrations of PSCA, thereby specifically targeting cancerous prostate cells. It is possible that the PSCA protein may be secreted into the bloodstream in significant amounts.
Stem cells are immature cells that give rise to adult cells.
So we have a hint, but only a hint, that PSCA may have a function in the development of prostate cancer cells. Reiter said that a goal for prostate cancer researchers is to identify new targets on cancerous prostate cells at which to aim antibodies and genes engineered to kill those cells. A further goal is to identify markers for prostate cancer that are released into the blood so that the presence of prostate cancer can be found through simple blood tests. We think that PSCA provides the target I've described, and it may also be a good marker for the presence of prostate cancer.