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Rapanotti MC, Cugini E, Campione E, Di Raimondo C, Costanza G, Rossi P, Ferlosio A, Bernardini S, Orlandi A, De Luca A, Bianchi L. Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Gene Signature in Circulating Melanoma Cells: Biological and Clinical Relevance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11792. [PMID: 37511550 PMCID: PMC10380315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The most promising method for monitoring patients with minimal morbidity is the detection of circulating melanoma cells (CMCs). We have shown that CD45-CD146+ABCB5+ CMCs identify a rare primitive stem/mesenchymal CMCs population associated with disease progression. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) confers cancer cells a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype promoting metastatization. Thus, we investigated the potential clinical value of the EMT gene signature of these primitive CMCs. A reliable quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) protocol was settled up using tumor cell lines RNA dilutions. Afterwards, immune-magnetically isolated CMCs from advanced melanoma patients, at onset and at the first checkpoint (following immune or targeted therapy), were tested for the level of EMT hallmarks and EMT transcription factor genes. Despite the small cohort of patients, we obtained promising results. Indeed, we observed a deep gene rewiring of the EMT investigated genes: in particular we found that the EMT gene signature of isolated CMCs correlated with patients' clinical outcomes. In conclusion, We established a reliable qRT-PCR protocol with high sensitivity and specificity to characterize the gene expression of isolated CMCs. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence demonstrating the impact of immune or targeted therapies on EMT hallmark gene expressions in CMCs from advanced melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Rapanotti
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Cugini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Campione
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cosimo Di Raimondo
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetana Costanza
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Rossi
- Surgery Division, Department of Surgery Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Amedeo Ferlosio
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Bernardini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Augusto Orlandi
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Anastasia De Luca
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Bianchi
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Rapanotti MC, Cugini E, Nuccetelli M, Terrinoni A, Di Raimondo C, Lombardo P, Costanza G, Cosio T, Rossi P, Orlandi A, Campione E, Bernardini S, Blot-Chabaud M, Bianchi L. MCAM/MUC18/CD146 as a Multifaceted Warning Marker of Melanoma Progression in Liquid Biopsy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12416. [PMID: 34830300 PMCID: PMC8623757 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human malignant melanoma shows a high rate of mortality after metastasization, and its incidence is continuously rising worldwide. Several studies have suggested that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 plays an important role in the progression of this malignant disease. MCAM/MUC18/CD146 is a typical single-spanning transmembrane glycoprotein, existing as two membrane isoforms, long and short, and an additional soluble form, sCD146. We previously documented that molecular MCAM/MUC18/CD146 expression is strongly associated with disease progression. Recently, we showed that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 and ABCB5 can serve as melanoma-specific-targets in the selection of highly primitive circulating melanoma cells, and constitute putative proteins associated with disease spreading progression. Here, we analyzed CD146 molecular expression at onset or at disease recurrence in an enlarged melanoma case series. For some patients, we also performed the time courses of molecular monitoring. Moreover, we explored the role of soluble CD146 in different cohorts of melanoma patients at onset or disease progression, rather than in clinical remission, undergoing immune therapy or free from any clinical treatment. We showed that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 can be considered as: (1) a membrane antigen suitable for identification and enrichment in melanoma liquid biopsy; (2) a highly effective molecular "warning" marker for minimal residual disease monitoring; and (3) a soluble protein index of inflammation and putative response to therapeutic treatments.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Biomarkers, Tumor/blood
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- CD146 Antigen/blood
- CD146 Antigen/chemistry
- CD146 Antigen/genetics
- Disease Progression
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Gene Expression
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Liquid Biopsy
- Longitudinal Studies
- Male
- Melanoma/blood
- Melanoma/genetics
- Melanoma/pathology
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/blood
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics
- Neoplasm, Residual/blood
- Neoplasm, Residual/genetics
- Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/metabolism
- Skin Neoplasms/blood
- Skin Neoplasms/genetics
- Skin Neoplasms/pathology
- Solubility
- Young Adult
- Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Rapanotti
- Department of Onco-Haematology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; (E.C.); (M.N.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Elisa Cugini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; (E.C.); (M.N.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Marzia Nuccetelli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; (E.C.); (M.N.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Alessandro Terrinoni
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; (E.C.); (M.N.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Cosimo Di Raimondo
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (C.D.R.); (P.L.); (T.C.); (E.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Paolo Lombardo
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (C.D.R.); (P.L.); (T.C.); (E.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Gaetana Costanza
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; (E.C.); (M.N.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Terenzio Cosio
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (C.D.R.); (P.L.); (T.C.); (E.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Piero Rossi
- Department of Surgery Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Augusto Orlandi
- Anatomic Pathology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Elena Campione
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (C.D.R.); (P.L.); (T.C.); (E.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Sergio Bernardini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; (E.C.); (M.N.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Marcel Blot-Chabaud
- Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), UMR-S 1076, Aix-Marseille University, UFR Pharmacy, 13005 Marseille, France;
| | - Luca Bianchi
- Dermatology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (C.D.R.); (P.L.); (T.C.); (E.C.); (L.B.)
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