Quantum dots-based in situ molecular imaging of dynamic changes of collagen IV during cancer invasion

Lactic acid in tumor invasion

Invasion involves tumor cells altering their cell-matrix interactions and acquiring motility for metastatic spread. Invasive tumor cells exhibit dysregulated metabolism and enhanced aerobic glycolysis, leading to nutrient depletion, hypoxia, and lactic acid production. Lactic acid is a byproduct of glycolysis capable of promoting oncogenic progression, but its role in tumor invasion is unclear. A growing number of studies have demonstrated that lactic acid regulates the degradation of collagen Ⅳ, collagen Ⅶ, and glycoprotein; the synthesis of collagen Ⅰ; and multiple signaling pathways, including TGF-β/Smad, Wnt/β-catenin, IL-6/STAT3, and HGF/MET, which are associated with basement membrane (BM) remodeling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), two hallmarks of the tumor invasive process. In the present review, we summarize BM remodeling and EMT in tumor invasion, discuss the emerging roles and molecular mechanisms of lactic acid in these processes, and provide insights for further research.

Collagenase-loaded pH-sensitive nanocarriers efficiently remodeled tumor stroma matrixes and improved the enrichment of nanomedicines

The dense extracellular matrix (ECM) in tumor tissue severely hinders the penetration and enrichment of antitumor nanomedicines, which could significantly affect their efficiency. In this study, we used pH-sensitive nanocarriers loaded with collagenase (Col) to remold the tumor microenvironment (TME). Furthermore, we combined the collagenase delivery system with a nanomedicine to improve its penetration and enrichment in the tumor, thereby improving efficacy. We synthesized acetalated dextran (Ace-DEX) with an ideal pH-sensitivity as the carrier material of collagenase. Under mild preparation conditions, collagenase was loaded into Ace-DEX nanoparticles (NPs) with a high loading capacity (>4%) and remained highly active (>90%). Col-carrying NPs (Col-NPs) significantly reduced the tumor collagen content by 15.1%. Pretreatment with Col-NPs increased the accumulation of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded liposome (DOX-Lipo) in the tumor by 2.8-fold. There were no safety concerns as the Col-NP showed no significant toxicity and reduced Col-induced damage to healthy tissues. Additionally, the number of circulating tumor cells remained unchanged after Col-NP treatment, suggesting no increased risk of tumor metastasis. Because the Col-NP acts essentially independent of the subsequent treatment, it has considerable potential for enhancing many existing delivery systems and drugs for cancer treatment. It may also be used for treating other collagen-related diseases.

CdSe quantum dots evaluation in primary cellular models or tissues derived from patients

In recent years quantum dots (QDs) have risen as useful luminescent nanoparticles with multiple applications ranging from laser, image displays and biomedical applications. Here we review and discuss the studies of these nanoparticles in patient derived cellular samples or tissues, including cellular models from iPSCs from patients, biopsied and post-mortem tissue. QD-based multiplexed imaging has been proved to overcome most of the major drawbacks of conventional techniques, exhibiting higher sensitivity, reliability, accuracy and simultaneous labeling of key biomarkers. In this sense, QDs are very promising tools to be further used in clinical applications including diagnosis and therapy approaches. Analyzing the possibilities of these materials in these biological samples gives an overview of the future applications of the nanoparticles in models closer to patients and their specific disease.

Recreating Tumour Complexity in a Dish: Organoid Models to Study Liver Cancer Cells and their Extracellular Environment

Primary liver cancer, consisting predominantly of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. This high malignancy is related to the complex and dynamic interactions between tumour cells, stromal cells and the extracellular environment. Novel in vitro models that can recapitulate the tumour are essential in increasing our understanding of liver cancer. Herein, primary liver cancer-derived organoids have opened up new avenues due to their patient-specificity, self-organizing ability and potential recapitulation of many of the tumour properties. Organoids are solely of epithelial origin, but incorporation into co-culture models can enable the investigation of the cellular component of the tumour microenvironment. However, the extracellular component also plays a vital role in cancer progression and representation is lacking within current in vitro models. In this review, organoid technology is discussed in the context of liver cancer models through comparisons to other cell culture systems. In addition, the role of the tumour extracellular environment in primary liver cancer will be highlighted with an emphasis on its importance in in vitro modelling. Converging novel organoid-based models with models incorporating the native tumour microenvironment could lead to experimental models that can better recapitulate liver tumours in vivo.

Molecular imaging of the tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. It is different from normal tissue in the extracellular matrix, vascular and lymphatic networks, as well as physiologic conditions. Molecular imaging of the tumor microenvironment provides a better understanding of its function in cancer biology, and thus allowing for the design of new diagnostics and therapeutics for early cancer diagnosis and treatment. The clinical translation of cancer molecular imaging is often hampered by the high cost of commercialization of targeted imaging agents as well as the limited clinical applications and small market size of some of the agents. Because many different cancer types share similar tumor microenvironment features, the ability to target these biomarkers has the potential to provide clinically translatable molecular imaging technologies for a spectrum of cancers and broad clinical applications. There has been significant progress in targeting the tumor microenvironment for cancer molecular imaging. In this review, we summarize the principles and strategies of recent advances made in molecular imaging of the tumor microenvironment, using various imaging modalities for early detection and diagnosis of cancer.

Characterization of the Tumor Microenvironment and Tumor-Stroma Interaction by Non-invasive Preclinical Imaging

Tumors are often characterized by hypoxia, vascular abnormalities, low extracellular pH, increased interstitial fluid pressure, altered choline-phospholipid metabolism, and aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect). The impact of these tumor characteristics has been investigated extensively in the context of tumor development, progression, and treatment response, resulting in a number of non-invasive imaging biomarkers. More recent evidence suggests that cancer cells undergo metabolic reprograming, beyond aerobic glycolysis, in the course of tumor development and progression. The resulting altered metabolic content in tumors has the ability to affect cell signaling and block cellular differentiation. Additional emerging evidence reveals that the interaction between tumor and stroma cells can alter tumor metabolism (leading to metabolic reprograming) as well as tumor growth and vascular features. This review will summarize previous and current preclinical, non-invasive, multimodal imaging efforts to characterize the tumor microenvironment, including its stromal components and understand tumor-stroma interaction in cancer development, progression, and treatment response.

Emerging microfluidic devices for cancer cells/biomarkers manipulation and detection

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are active participants in the metastasis process and account for ∼90% of all cancer deaths. As CTCs are admixed with a very large amount of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets in blood, CTCs are very rare, making their isolation, capture, and detection a major technological challenge. Microfluidic technologies have opened-up new opportunities for the screening of blood samples and the detection of CTCs or other important cancer biomarker-proteins. In this study, the authors have reviewed the most recent developments in microfluidic devices for cells/biomarkers manipulation and detection, focusing their attention on immunomagnetic-affinity-based devices, dielectrophoresis-based devices, surface-plasmon-resonance microfluidic sensors, and quantum-dots-based sensors.

Gold-Quantum Dot Core-Satellite Assemblies for Lighting Up MicroRNA In Vitro and In Vivo

A high yield DNA-driven gold-quantum dot core-satellite is developed for miRNA detection in vitro and vivo. In the presence of the target miRNA, the DNA hairpin between core and satellite is ruined, resulting in the recovery of fluorescence. The limit of detection for miRNA-21 detection in living cells reaches 296 copies per cell.

Quantum dot-based molecular imaging of cancer cell growth using a clone formation assay

This aim of the present study was to investigate clonal growth behavior and analyze the proliferation characteristics of cancer cells. The MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell line, SW480 human colon cancer cell line and SGC7901 human gastric cancer cell line were selected to investigate the morphology of cell clones. Quantum dot‑based molecular targeted imaging techniques (which stained pan‑cytokeratin in the cytoplasm green and Ki67 in the cell nucleus yellow or red) were used to investigate the clone formation rate, cell morphology, discrete tendency, and Ki67 expression and distribution in clones. From the cell clone formation assay, the MCF‑7, SW480 and SGC7901 cells were observed to form clones on days 6, 8 and 12 of cell culture, respectively. These three types of cells had heterogeneous morphology, large nuclear:cytoplasmic ratios, and conspicuous pathological mitotic features. The cells at the clone periphery formed multiple pseudopodium. In certain clones, cancer cells at the borderline were separated from the central cell clusters or presented a discrete tendency. With quantum dot‑based molecular targeted imaging techniques, cells with strong Ki67 expression were predominantly shown to be distributed at the clone periphery, or concentrated on one side of the clones. In conclusion, cancer cell clones showed asymmetric growth behavior, and Ki67 was widely expressed in clones of these three cell lines, with strong expression around the clones, or aggregated at one side. Cell clone formation assay based on quantum dots molecular imaging offered a novel method to study the proliferative features of cancer cells, thus providing a further insight into tumor biology.

Co-evolution of tumor-associated macrophages and tumor neo-vessels during cervical cancer invasion

Considering the crucial significance of the tumor microenvironment in cancer development and progression, the present study aimed to investigate the changes in macrophages and angiogenesis during the cervical cancer (CC) progression process from chronic cervicitis to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades I-III (CIN I-III) to CC. This investigation included quantitative analysis and assessment of the spatial associations between tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and tumor neo-vessels. The conventional immunohistochemistry staining technique was used to detect cluster of differentiation (CD)68 and CD105 biomarker expression for TAMs and tumor neo-vessels, respectively. In addition, with the assistance of quantum dot (QD)-based two-component in situ imaging technology, the expression of the TAMs and tumor neo-vessels could be observed simultaneously. The quantitative analysis and co-evolution of the TAMs and tumor neo-vessels could then be processed. During the progression process from chronic cervicitis to cervical CIN I-III, and ultimately to invasive CC, the expression of the macrophages and neo-vessels in the tumor microenvironment increased synchronously. According to the quantitative analysis results, the median value of the TAM density was higher in the CC group (5,540.14) than in the CIN I-III group (2,502.17) and the chronic cervicitis group (1,403.31), with statistical significance in all three groups (P<0.001, for between-group comparisons). The number of neo-vessels was also much higher in the CC group (n=27) than in the CIN I-III group (n=17) or the chronic cervicitis group (n=6.5), with statistical significance in all three groups (P<0.001, for between-group comparisons). These findings demonstrated the great significance and close association of TAMs and tumor angiogenesis during CC development and progression. Thus, QDs-based in situ and simultaneous imaging of key cancer molecules may provide insights with regard to the biology of cancer invasion.

Dissecting the Factors Affecting the Fluorescence Stability of Quantum Dots in Live Cells

Labeling and imaging of live cells with quantum dots (QDs) has attracted great attention in the biomedical field over the past two decades. Maintenance of the fluorescence of QDs in a biological environment is crucial for performing long-term cell tracking to investigate the proliferation and functional evolution of cells. The cell-penetrating peptide transactivator of transcription (TAT) is a well-studied peptide to efficiently enhance the transmembrane delivery. Here, we used TAT peptide-conjugated QDs (TAT-QDs) as a model system to examine the fluorescence stability of QDs in live cells. By confocal microscopy, we found that TAT-QDs were internalized into cells by endocytosis, and transported into the cytoplasm via the mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes. More importantly, the fluorescence of TAT-QDs in live cells was decreased mainly by cell proliferation, and the low pH value in the lysosomes could also lower the fluorescence intensity of intracellular QDs. Quantitative analysis of the amount of QDs in the extracellular region and whole cells indicated that the exocytosis was not the primary cause of fluorescence decay of intracellular QDs. This work facilitates a better understanding of the fluorescence stability of QDs for cell imaging and long-term tracking in live cells. Also, it provides insights into the utility of TAT for transmembrane transportation, and the preparation and modification of QDs for cell imaging and tracking.

CERS2 suppresses tumor cell invasion and is associated with decreased V-ATPase and MMP-2/MMP-9 activities in breast cancer

Ceramide synthase 2 (CERS2) is the gene identified from a human liver cDNA library in 2001. Our previous studies have shown higher expression of CERS2 in the breast cancer patients was associated with fewer lymph node metastases. However, the molecular mechanism of CERS2 involved is unknown. Here, we found CERS2 was heterogeneously expressed in various breast cancer cells. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CERS2 in MCF7 cells, which are poorly invasive breast cancer cells, were obviously higher than that in the highly invasive cells MDA-MB-231. Results showed overexpression of CERS2 in MDA-MB-231 cells could significantly inhibit the migration and invasion ability, whereas CERS2 knockdown in MCF7 cells could significantly increase the migration and invasion ability. Overexpression of CERS2 in MDA-MB-231 cells significantly reduced the V-ATPase activity, increased the extracellular pH and decreased the pH-dependent activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). CERS2 knockdown in MCF7 cells significantly increased the V-ATPase activity, decreased the extracellular pH and increased the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Taken together, CERS2 can significantly inhibit breast cancer cell invasion and is associated with the decrease of the V-ATPase activity and extracellular hydrogen ion concentration, and in turn the activation of secreted MMP-2/MMP-9 and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), which ultimately suppressed tumor's invasion. Thus, CERS2 may represent a novel target for selectively disrupting V-ATPase activity and the invasive potential of cancer cells.

Milky spots: omental functional units and hotbeds for peritoneal cancer metastasis

As the most common metastatic disease of abdomen pelvic cavity cancer, peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) renders significant negative impact on patient survival and quality of life. Invasive peritoneal exfoliated cancer cells (PECCs) preferentially select the omentum as a predominant target site for cancer cell colonization and proliferation compared with other tissues in the abdominal cavity. The precise pathogenic mechanism remains to be determined. As omental milky spots (MSs) are the major implantation site for malignant cells in peritoneal dissemination, researches on mechanisms of PC have been mainly focused on MS, primitive lymphoid tissues with unique structural features, and functional characteristics. To date, extensive biophysical and biochemical methods have been manipulated to investigate the MS exact function in the peritoneal cavity. This review summarized MS as hotbeds for PECC. The anatomical distribution was briefly described first. Then, MS histology was systematically reviewed, including morphological features, cellular constituents, and histological staining methods. At last, the roles of MS in PC pathological process were summarized with special emphasis on the distinct roles of macrophages.

Coexpression of CdSe and CdSe/CdS quantum dots in live cells using molecular hyperspectral imaging technology

A direct spatial and spectral observation of CdSe and CdSe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) as probes in live cells is performed by using a custom molecular hyperspectral imaging (MHI) system. Water-soluble CdSe and CdSe/CdS QDs are synthesized in aqueous solution under the assistance of high-intensity ultrasonic irradiation and incubated with colon cancer cells for bioimaging. Unlike the traditional fluorescence microscopy methods, MHI technology can identify QD probes according to their spectral signatures and generate coexpression and stain titer maps by a clustering method. The experimental results show that the MHI method has potential to unmix biomarkers by their spectral information, which opens up a pathway of optical multiplexing with many different QD probes.

Quantum dot-based in situ simultaneous molecular imaging and quantitative analysis of EGFR and collagen IV and identification of their prognostic value in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a unique breast cancer subtype with high heterogeneity and poor prognosis. Currently, the treatment effect of TNBC has reached a bottleneck, rendering new breakthroughs difficult. Cancer invasion is not an entirely cell-autonomous process, requiring the cells to transmigrate across the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) barriers. Developing a new system that integrates key constituents in the tumor microenvironment with pivotal cancer cell molecules is essential for the in-depth investigation of the mechanism of invasion in TNBC. We describe a computer-aided algorithm developed using quantum dot (QD)-based multiplex molecular imaging of TNBC tissues. We performed in situ simultaneous imaging and quantitative detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), expressed in the TNBC cell membrane, and collagen IV, the major ECM constituent; calculated the EGFR/collagen IV ratio; and investigated the prognostic value of the EGFR/collagen IV ratio in TNBC. We simultaneously imaged and quantitatively detected EGFR and collagen IV in the TNBC samples. In all patients, quantitative determination showed a statistically significant negative correlation between EGFR and collagen IV. The 5-year disease-free survival (5-DFS) of the high and low EGFR/collagen IV ratio subgroups was significantly different. The EGFR/collagen IV ratio was predictive and was an independent prognostic indicator in TNBC. Compared with EGFR expression, the EGFR/collagen IV ratio had a greater prognostic value for 5-DFS. Our findings open up a new avenue for predicting the clinical outcome in TNBC from the perspective of integrating molecules expressed in both cancer cells and the ECM.

Application of functional quantum dot nanoparticles as fluorescence probes in cell labeling and tumor diagnostic imaging

Quantum dots (QDs) are a class of nanomaterials with good optical properties. Compared with organic dyes, QDs have unique photophysical properties: size-tunable light emission, improved signal brightness, resistance against photobleaching, and simultaneous excitation of multiple fluorescence colors. Possessing versatile surface chemistry and superior optical features, QDs are useful in a variety of in vitro and in vivo applications. When linked with targeting biomolecules, QDs can be used to target cell biomarkers because of high luminescence and stability. So QDs have the potential to become a novel class of fluorescent probes. This review outlines the basic properties of QDs, cell fluorescence labeling, and tumor diagnosis imaging and discusses the future directions of QD-focused bionanotechnology research in the life sciences.

Quantum dots-based tissue and in vivo imaging in breast cancer researches: current status and future perspectives

As the most common malignant tumor for females, breast cancer (BC) is a highly heterogeneous disease regarding biological behaviors. Precisely targeted imaging on BC masses and biomarkers is critical to BC detection, treatment, monitoring, and prognostic evaluation. As an important imaging technique, quantum dots (QDs)-based imaging has emerged as a promising tool in BC researches owe to its outstanding optical properties. However, few reviews have been specifically devoted to discussing applications of QDs-based imaging in BC researches. This review summarized recent promising works in QDs-based tissue and in vivo imaging for BC studies. Physicochemical and optical properties of QDs and its potential applications were briefly described first. Then QDs-based imaging studies in BC were systematically reviewed, including tissue imaging for studying biomarkers interactions, and evaluating prognostic biomarkers, in vivo imaging for mapping axillary lymphatic system, showing BC xenograft tumor, and detecting BC metastases. At last, the future perspectives with special emphasis on the potential clinical applications have also been discussed. Potential applications of QDs-based imaging on clinical BC in the future are mainly focused on tissue study, especially in BC molecular pathology due to its optimal optical properties and quantitative information capabilities on multiple biomarkers.

Quantum dot-based multiplexed imaging in malignant ascites: a new model for malignant ascites classification

Purpose

The aims of this study are to establish a new method for simultaneously detecting the interactions between cancer cells and immunocytes in malignant ascites (MA) and to propose a new model for MA classification.

Methods

A quantum dot (QD)-based multiplexed imaging technique was developed for simultaneous in situ imaging of cancer cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages. This method was first validated in gastric cancer tissues, and then was applied to MA samples from 20 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastrointestinal and gynecological origins. The staining features of MA and the interactions between cancer cells and immunocytes in the ascites were further analyzed and correlated with clinical features.

Results

The QD-based multiplexed imaging technique was able to simultaneously show gastric cancer cells, infiltrating macrophages, and lymphocytes in tumor tissue, and the technique revealed the distinctive features of the cancer tumor microenvironment. When this multiplexed imaging protocol was applied to MA cytology, different features of the interactions and quantitative relations between cancer cells and immunocytes were observed. On the basis of these features, MA could be classified into immunocyte-dominant type, immunocyte-reactive type, cancer cell-dominant type, and cell deletion type; the four categories were statistically different in terms of the ratio of cancer cells to immunocytes (P<0.001). Moreover, in the MA, the ratio of cancer cells to immunocytes was higher for patients with gynecological and gastric cancers than for those with colorectal cancer.

Conclusion

The newly developed QD-based multiplexed imaging technique was able to better reveal the interactions between cancer cells and immunocytes. This advancement allows for better MA classification and, thereby, allows for treatment decisions to be more individualized.

Heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma contributes to cancer progression

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous disease displaying differences in angiogenesis, extracellular matrix proteins, the immune microenvironment and tumor cell populations. Additionally, genetic variations and epigenetic changes of HCC cells could lead to aberrant signaling pathways, induce cancer stem cells and enhance tumor progression. Thus, the heterogeneity in HCC contributes to disease progression and a better understanding of its heterogeneity will greatly aid in the development of strategies for the HCC treatment.

Determination of arsenic(iii) based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer between CdTe QDs and Rhodamine 6G

The schematic illustration for the As(iii) detection based on fret between CdTe QDs and Rhodamine 6G.

Quantum dots: bright and versatile in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging biosensors

Colourful cells and tissues: semiconductor quantum dots and their versatile applications in multiplexed bioimaging research.

Hepatic stellate cells and extracellular matrix in hepatocellular carcinoma: more complicated than ever

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death. Recent epidemiological data indicate that the mortality rate of HCC will double over the next decades in the USA and Europe. Liver cancer progresses in a large percentage of cases during the clinical course of chronic fibro-inflammatory liver diseases leading to cirrhosis. Therefore, HCC development is regarded as the result of different environmental risk factors each involving different genetic, epigenetic- and chromosomal alterations and gene mutations. During tumour progression, the malignant hepatocytes and the activated hepatic stellate cells are accompanied by cancer-associated fibroblasts, myofibroblasts and immune cells generally called tumour stromal cells. This new and dynamic milieu further enhances the responsiveness of tumour cells towards soluble mediators secreted by tumour stromal cells, thus directly affecting the malignant hepatocytes. This results in altered molecular pathways with cell proliferation as the most important mechanism of liver cancer progression. Given this contextual complexity, it is of utmost importance to characterize the molecular pathogenesis of HCC, and to identify the dominant pathways/drivers and aberrant signalling pathways. This will allow an effective therapy for HCC that should combine strategies affecting both cancer and the tumour stromal cells. This review provides an overview of the recent challenges and issues regarding hepatic stellate cells, extracellular matrix dynamics, liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and therapy, tumour microenvironment and HCC.

Subtype classification for prediction of prognosis of breast cancer from a biomarker panel: correlations and indications

Background

Hormone receptors, including the estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and other biomarkers like Ki67, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, also known as HER1), the androgen receptor, and p53, are key molecules in breast cancer. This study evaluated the relationship between HER2 and hormone receptors and explored the additional prognostic value of Ki67, EGFR, the androgen receptor, and p53.

Methods

Quantitative determination of HER2 and EGFR was performed in 240 invasive breast cancer tissue microarray specimens using quantum dot (QD)-based nanotechnology. We identified two subtypes of HER2, ie, high total HER2 load (HTH2) and low total HER2 load (LTH2), and three subtypes of hormone receptor, ie, high hormone receptor (HHR), low hormone receptor (LHR), and no hormone receptor (NHR). Therefore, breast cancer patients could be divided into five subtypes according to HER2 and hormone receptor status. Ki67, p53, and the androgen receptor were determined by traditional immunohistochemistry techniques. The relationship between hormone receptors and HER2 was investigated and the additional value of Ki67, EGFR, the androgen receptor, and p53 for prediction of 5-year disease-free survival was assessed.

Results

In all patients, quantitative determination showed a statistically significant (P<0.001) negative correlation between HER2 and the hormone receptors and a significant positive correlation (P<0.001) between the estrogen receptor and the progesterone receptor (r=0.588), but a significant negative correlation (P<0.001, r=−0.618) with the HHR subtype. There were significant differences between the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 subtypes with regard to total HER2 load and hormone receptor subtypes. The rates of androgen receptor and p53 positivity were 46.3% and 57.0%, respectively. Other than the androgen receptor, differences in expression of Ki67, EGFR, and p53 did not achieve statistical significance (P>0.05) between the five subtypes. EGFR and Ki67 had prognostic significance for 5-year disease-free survival in univariate analysis, but the androgen receptor and p53 did not. Multivariate analysis identified that EGFR expression had predictive significance for 5-year disease-free survival in hormone-receptor positive patients and in those with the lymph node-positive breast cancer subtype.

Conclusion

Hormone receptor expression was indeed one of the molecular profiles in the subtypes identified by quantitative HER2 and vice versa. EGFR status may provide discriminative prognostic information in addition to HER2 and hormone receptor status, and should be integrated into routine practice to help formulate more specific prediction of the prognosis and appropriate individualized treatment.

Tumor invasion unit in gastric cancer revealed by QDs-based in situ molecular imaging and multispectral analysis

In tumor tissues, cancer cells, tumor infiltrating macrophages and tumor neo-vessels in close spatial vicinity with one another form tumor invasion unit, which is a biologically important tumor microenvironment of metastasis to facilitate cancer invasion and metastasis. Establishing an in situ molecular imaging technology to simultaneously reveal these three components is essential for the in-depth investigation of tumor invasion unit. In this report, we have developed a computer-aided algorithm by quantum dots (QDs)-based multiplexed molecular imaging technique for such purpose. A series of studies on gastric cancer tumor tissues demonstrated that the tumor invasion unit was correlated with major unfavorable pathological features and worse clinical outcomes, which illustrated the significantly negative impacts and predictive power of tumor invasion unit on patient overall survival. This study confirmed the technical advantages of QDs-based in situ and simultaneous molecular imaging of key cancer molecules to gain deeper insights into the biology of cancer invasion.

Folate–PEG functionalized silica CdTe quantum dots as fluorescent probes for cancer cell imaging

CdTe@SiO₂–NH–CO–PEG−folate nanoparticles were successfully prepared and demonstrated tumor cell specific targeting through folate receptors via folate mediated endocytosis.