Serum Splicing Factor Proline-and Glutamine-Rich Is a Diagnostic Marker for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Other Solid Cancers

Sep 21, 2026

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Cancer markers are measurable molecules in blood or tissues produced by tumor cells or immune cells during cancer progression, supporting clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring. Splicing factor proline-and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) is implicated in cancer growth and metastasis, with higher expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and also elevated expression in cells from other solid cancers. An ELISA was developed to detect serum SFPQ using two specific monoclonal antibodies. Serum SFPQ levels differentiated NSCLC patients from non-cancer controls (AUC 0.876, sensitivity 87%, specificity 94%) and were significantly increased in NSCLC and other solid cancers. SFPQ is proposed as a promising diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC and malignancies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Results

2.1. Identification of SFPQ as a Candidate Diagnostic Biomarker in Solid Cancers

Article Serum Splicing Factor Proline-and Glutamine-Rich Is a Diagnostic Marker for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Other Solid Cancers Libang Yang 1, *, Adam Gilbertsen 1, Blake Jacobson 2, Robert Kratzke 2 and Craig A. Henke 1 Citation: Yang, L.; Gilbertsen, A.; Jacobson, B.; Kratzke, R.; Henke, C.A. Serum Splicing Factor Proline-and Glutamine-Rich Is a Diagnostic Marker for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Other Solid Cancers. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 8766. [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168766](doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168766) Academic Editor: Alessandro Poggi Received: 2 July 2024 Revised: 7 August 2024 Accepted: 9 August 2024 Published: 12 August 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; [gilbe398@umn.edu](gilbe398@umn.edu) (A.G.) 2 Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street, SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; [jacob023@umn.edu](jacob023@umn.edu) (B.J.); [kratz003@umn.edu](kratz003@umn.edu) (R.K.) * [Correspondence: yangx822@umn.edu](Correspondence: yangx822@umn.edu); Tel.: +612-624-5435; Fax: +612-625-2174 Abstract: Cancer markers are measurable molecules in blood or tissues that are produced by tumor cells or immune cells in response to cancer progression. They play an important role in clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring. Splicing factor proline-and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) plays an important role in cancer growth and metastasis. SFPQ is not only more highly expressed in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells than it is in controls, but also highly expressed in cancer cells in patients with other solid cancers. Thus, a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting SFPQ was developed, in which the SFPQ protein is trapped by the first specific mAb coated on a microplate, and then recognized by a second specific mAb. This assay allows for the specific detection of SFPQ in the serum of patients with solid cancer. Regarding NSCLC, the serum SFPQ levels distinguished the non-cancer controls from the patients with NSCLC, with an area under the curve of 0.876, a sensitivity of 87%, and a specificity of 94% . The serum SFPQ levels were significantly elevated in the patients with NSCLC or other solid cancers. In conclusion, serum SFPQ could be a promising novel diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC and other malignancies. Keywords: NSCLC; SFPQ; diagnostic marker; solid cancers 1. Introduction Cancer markers are measurable molecules that circulate in blood or tissues, are expressed by tumor cells or immune cells, and are involved in cancer progression. Cancer markers are crucial for clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and cancer therapy monitoring. The early detection of cancer and the monitoring of cancer progression are crucial for reducing cancer mortality worldwide [1–4] . In recent years, various biomolecules and molecular complexes, including exosomes, circulating tumor DNA, and serum noncoding RNAs, have been identified as diagnostic biomarkers; however, these methods are generally technically complex and expensive, which hinders their utility in clinical applications. Thus, thereis still a need to identify accurate serum diagnostic biomarkers that can be routinely and inexpensively measured for the large-scale screening of early-stage cancer and monitoring cancer progression, particularly solid cancers. Serological tumor biomarkers are desirable for cancer screening because of the easy and relatively noninvasive method of sample collection and the low cost [4,5] . However, the conventional serum t

FAQs

What are cancer markers and why are they important in clinical care?

Cancer markers are measurable molecules found in blood or tissues that are produced by tumor or immune cells in response to cancer progression. They are used for clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring therapy response.

How does the study detect SFPQ in patient serum?

The study develops a sandwich ELISA to detect splicing factor proline-and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) in serum. One specific monoclonal antibody captures the SFPQ protein on the microplate, and a second antibody recognizes it.

What diagnostic performance did serum SFPQ show for NSCLC?

Serum SFPQ levels distinguished non-cancer controls from NSCLC patients, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.876, sensitivity of 87%, and specificity of 94%.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Asher