Autoantibody biomarkers in prostate cancer

Due to the low specificity of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), there is great need for additional serum biomarkers to supplement or replace PSA for the detection of cancer in patients. Early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer are now becoming possible by employing the body's endogenous immune system as a biomarker, which can serve as a natural "amplification strategy" to respond to the low amount of tumor-specific proteins by generating very-high-affinity T cells and antibodies. The strength of using autoantiobodies for the detection of cancer lies in the sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of the immune system. This article reviews the autoantibody biomarkers that have shown to be clinically useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer. Ultimately, autoantibody markers may provide information that can be used to tailor the treatment of individual patients.