Novel Antitumor Strategies Using Cytokine PEDF for Prostate Cancer Therapy

Prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor affecting men in the United States and Western Europe. Currently, therapeutic options remain limited and novel therapies are needed that can provide low toxicity and high therapeutic index. One promising new agent is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis with anti-metastatic activities, the pigment epithelium- derived factor (PEDF). Some additional functions of PEDF that augment its promise as a new therapeutic include its pro-apoptosis (tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelial cells) and potential pro-immunogenic (cytotoxic macrophages) activities. We will discuss findings by several groups using PEDF as an efficient therapeutic following many delivery strategies including gene, protein, peptide, or cell-based therapy. PEDF also has potential to serve as a proteomics biomarker for prostate cancer progression, as downregulated levels could help predict metastatic potential of tumors. We will provide an overview of the potential and promise for achieving translation of PEDF therapeutics for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.