UroSysteomics emphasis diabetes and related comorbidities
Progression of diabetic nephropathy and related complications are the most common cause of chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease in Western World. Therefore, UroSysteomics consortium members decided to emphasis the field of diabetic nephropathy to address the most urgent demand on early stage and progression biomarkers. In a blinded study including more than 500 patients, urinary diagnostic signatures were identified and validated enabling early diagnosis of diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (Rossing et al., 2007). For this purpose, several collaborations with renowned international clinical centers were initiated, including STENO Center (Bluo dot and GENEX study, Peter Rossing, Gentofte) as well as CACTI study group (Marian Rewers, Denver). All partners dispose of outstanding expertise in long-term longitudinal studies. ► back

Novel oncological biomarkers identified
The early detection of prostate cancer has improved over the past 20 years mainly due to prostate specific antigen (PSA) screenings. Unfortunately, PSA is also associated with significant false positive rates leading to unnecessary prostate biopsies. Hence, the oncological arm of the UroSysteomics consortium aims to develop novel methods to improve early prostate cancer detection.
In a blinded study with almost 600 patients, the consortium reports on the identification and validation of a panel of 12 novel biomarkers for prostate cancer. The novel predictors for positive prostate biopsy detected prostate cancer in patients with 89% sensitivity, 51% specificity. Including age and percent free PSA to the proteomic signatures resulted in 91% sensitivity, 69% specificity. Since only 30% of patients with elevated serum prostate specific antigen levels who undergo prostate biopsy are diagnosed with prostate cancer, these novel methods may help to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies (Theodorescu et al.,2008).
In addition, the consortium was invited to discuss state-of-the-art proteomics technology for biomarker discovery in the field of prostate cancer (Schiffer et al., 2007) and bladder cancer (Schiffer et al., in press). ► back