Australian research discovers new cell in prostate cancer that could open new ways for early detection

Australian researchers have produced the world’s most detailed cellular map of early-stage prostate cancer, revealing the earliest changes that lead to the deadly disease. Prostate cancer affects one in five Australian men, making it one of the most common cancers in the country. The study, conducted at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, revealed a previously unknown cell that can cause prostate cancer by analysing tissue from 24 patients recently diagnosed with early-stages of the disease. The new cell type named perineural cancer-associated fibroblasts is a type of connective tissue cell located near nerves in cancers. The tendency for prostate cancer tumours to grow in and around nerves has long been associated with worse outcomes for patients. This discovery provides a new piece of the puzzle in understanding how prostate tumours may recruit nerves or spread to other parts of the body along the nerves to cause metastatic cancer, which is when the disease has spread from its original site. The overall comprehensive atlas of early-stage prostate cancer identified 11 major cell types and 50 minor subtypes. Research lead Alexander Swarbrick said these findings could reveal new risk factors, lead to earlier detection methods and help determine which patients are at risk of developing prostate cancer. “We’ve captured a molecular readout showing years of cancer development,” he said. “What’s particularly surprising is the significant number of cells that look perfectly ordinary but have already acquired DNA changes associated with cancer. “This suggests that current diagnostic methods using conventional microscopy may not be granular enough to detect these early mutations.” The research team now plans to expand the number of patients studied and investigate specific cellular populations, particularly those cells that look healthy but harbour genetic changes. Future work will also focus on understanding the function of the newly discovered perineural fibroblasts, which may reveal why prostate tumours that contain more nerves have worse outcomes. “We’ve had a peek through the window, but it’s still somewhat blurry,” Professor Swarbrick said. “Now we have more precise questions about these pre-malignant cells, and we can apply more focused techniques to be crystal clear about the sequence of genetic events that drive this cancer.”