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Research ArticleOpen Accesscc iconby icon

Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase-1 as a diagnostic biomarker in human cancer

    Andrew W Maksymiuk

    Cancer Care Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0V9, Canada

    Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A 1R9, Canada

    ,
    Daniel S Sitar

    Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A 1R9, Canada

    Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0T6, Canada

    ,
    Rashid Ahmed

    BioMark Diagnostics Inc., Richmond, British Columbia, V6X 2W8, Canada

    ,
    Brian Cheng

    BioMark Diagnostics Inc., Richmond, British Columbia, V6X 2W8, Canada

    ,
    Horacio Bach

    Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 3J5, Canada

    ,
    Rushita Adhikari Bagchi

    Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0J9, Canada

    ,
    Nina Aroutiounova

    Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0J9, Canada

    ,
    Paramjit S Tappia

    *Author for correspondence:

    E-mail Address: ptappia@sbrc.ca

    Asper Clinical Research Institute & Office of Clinical Research, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2H 2A6, Canada

    &
    Bram Ramjiawan

    Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0T6, Canada

    Asper Clinical Research Institute & Office of Clinical Research, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2H 2A6, Canada

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.4155/fsoa-2018-0077

    Aim: SSAT-1 is an enzyme that plays a critical role in cell growth. Amantadine, a FDA-approved antiviral drug, is a substrate for SSAT-1. The utility of amantadine as an agent to demonstrate elevated SSAT-1 activity linked to cancer was conducted. Results: High levels of SSAT-1 expression were measured in tumor human cell lines, and in breast, prostate and lung tumor tissue. An increase in the urinary levels of acetylated amantadine in cancer patients was observed. Conclusion: Increases in SSAT-1 contents in tumor tissue could be of value in targeting cancers with high SSAT-1 expression for confirmation/quantification. The high levels of acetylated amantadine could be used as a simple and useful screening test for the presence of cancer.

    Lay abstract

    In response to cancer, cells tend to overproduce specific enzymes as a self-defense mechanism. By using a safe and reliable method to capture and measure the excess enzyme spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase-1, the presence of cancer can be established. This study describes a novel approach of detecting and screening cancer noninvasively in the urine of cancer patients using a safe and approved drug called amantadine that acts as a smart-tracking agent. Higher levels of the acetylated form of amantadine are detectable in the urine of cancer patients, which may serve as a detection tool. In addition, increases in the amount of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase-1 in tumor tissue may provide a tool for determining the presence of cancer during pathology assessment.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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