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Kottana RK, Schnoor B, Papa AL. A method to quantitatively characterize the formation and dissociation of tumor cell clusters using light transmission aggregometry. Mol Oncol 2024. [PMID: 39234921 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we have modified the workflow of the traditional light transmission aggregometry (LTA) protocol to characterize tumor cell clusters in vitro in a quantifiable and multifaceted manner. Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters have high metastatic potential compared to single tumor cells traveling in the bloodstream. Thus, engineering new therapeutic strategies that specifically target this CTC population is essential. To accomplish this, quantifiable methods to characterize their therapeutic effect on tumor cell clusters is a prerequisite. The method presented here enables the user to precisely quantify the dissociation of cancer cell clusters in the presence of clinically relevant fibrinolytic agents, such as alteplase and tenecteplase. The efficacy of the fibrinolytic agents can be quantified using this in vitro assay, prior to conducting preclinical studies. Here, we have obtained the fibrinolytic activity data in terms of lag time to the initiation of tumor cell dissociation, time to 25% dissociation, and trend of dissociation over time. To validate the assay, cell counts and phase-contrast microscopy images were recorded over time. Further, we explored an LTA-assisted preparation of platelet-tumor-cell clusters of calibrated size for potential downstream testing/applications. To assess whether the assay is applicable to characterize the dissociation of cancer cell clusters in the presence of platelets, we added low (50 000 platelets·μL-1), normal (200 000 platelets·μL-1) and high (450 000 platelets·μL-1) concentrations of platelets to the tumor cell clusters. In addition to dissociation parameters, microcopy images were recorded over time to validate the assay and enabled the enumeration of clusters and single cells. The correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) technique was utilized to visualize the morphology and composition of platelet-tumor cell clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Komal Kottana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Brian Schnoor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anne-Laure Papa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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2
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Li M. Atomic force microscopy as a nanomechanical tool for cancer liquid biopsy. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 734:150637. [PMID: 39226737 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150637] [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: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 08/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Liquid biopsies have been receiving tremendous attention for their potential to reshape cancer management. Though current studies of cancer liquid biopsy primarily fucus on applying biochemical assays to characterize the genetic/molecular profiles of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and their secondary products shed from tumor sites in bodily fluids, delineating the nanomechanical properties of tumor-associated materials in liquid biopsy specimens yields complementary insights into the biology of tumor dissemination and evolution. Particularly, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become a standard and versatile toolbox for characterizing the mechanical properties of living biological systems at the micro/nanoscale, and AFM has been increasingly utilized to probe the nanomechanical properties of various tumor-derived analytes in liquid biopsies, including CTCs, tumor-associated cells, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) molecules, and extracellular vesicles (EVs), offering additional possibilities for understanding cancer pathogenesis from the perspective of mechanobiology. Herein, the applications of AFM in cancer liquid biopsy are summarized, and the challenges and future directions of AFM as a nanomechanical analysis tool in cancer liquid biopsy towards clinical utility are discussed and envisioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China.
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3
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Hapeman JD, Galwa R, Carneiro CS, Nedelcu AM. In vitro evidence for the potential of EGFR inhibitors to decrease the TGF-β1-induced dispersal of circulating tumour cell clusters mediated by EGFR overexpression. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19980. [PMID: 39198539 PMCID: PMC11358385 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70358-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Most cancer-related deaths are due to the spread of tumour cells throughout the body-a process known as metastasis. While in the vasculature, these cells are referred to as circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and can be found as either single cells or clusters of cells (often including platelets), with the latter having the highest metastatic potential. However, the biology of CTC clusters is poorly understood, and there are no therapies that specifically target them. We previously developed an in vitro model system for CTC clusters and proposed a new extravasation model that involves cluster dissociation, adherence, and single-cell invasion in response to TGF-β1 released by platelets. Here, we investigated TGF-β1-induced gene expression changes in this model, focusing on genes for which targeted drugs are available. In addition to the upregulation of the TGF-β1 signalling pathway, we found that (i) genes in the EGF/EGFR pathway, including those coding for EGFR and several EGFR ligands, were also induced, and (ii) Erlotinib and Osimertinib, two therapeutic EGFR/tyrosine kinase inhibitors, decreased the TGF-β1-induced adherence and invasion of the CTC cluster-like line despite the line expressing wild-type EGFR. Overall, we suggest that EGFR inhibitors have the potential to decrease the dispersal of CTC clusters that respond to TGF-β1 and overexpress EGFR (irrespective of its status) and thus could improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorian D Hapeman
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Rakshit Galwa
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Caroline S Carneiro
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Aurora M Nedelcu
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
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4
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Pace J, Lee JJ, Srinivasarao M, Kallepu S, Low PS, Niedre M. In Vivo Labeling and Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Mice Using OTL38. Mol Imaging Biol 2024; 26:603-615. [PMID: 38594545 PMCID: PMC11281960 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-024-01914-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE We recently developed an optical instrument to non-invasively detect fluorescently labeled circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in mice called 'Diffuse in vivo Flow Cytometry' (DiFC). OTL38 is a folate receptor (FR) targeted near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent that is FDA approved for use in fluorescence guided surgery of ovarian and lung cancer. In this work, we investigated the use OTL38 for in vivo labeling and detection of FR + CTCs with DiFC. PROCEDURES We tested OTL38 labeling of FR + cancer cell lines (IGROV-1 and L1210A) as well as FR- MM.1S cells in suspensions of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vitro. We also tested OTL38 labeling and NIR-DIFC detection of FR + L1210A cells in blood circulation in nude mice in vivo. RESULTS 62% of IGROV-1 and 83% of L1210A were labeled above non-specific background levels in suspensions of PBMCs in vitro compared to only 2% of FR- MM.1S cells. L1210A cells could be labeled with OTL38 directly in circulation in vivo and externally detected using NIR-DiFC in mice with low false positive detection rates. CONCLUSIONS This work shows the feasibility of labeling CTCs in vivo with OTL38 and detection with DiFC. Although further refinement of the DiFC instrument and signal processing algorithms and testing with other animal models is needed, this work may eventually pave the way for human use of DiFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Pace
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jane J Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | | | | | - Philip S Low
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 047906, USA
| | - Mark Niedre
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Mincy C, Revelt L, Carter K, Reed D, Joy A. Unique Cohorts of Salivary Gland Cancer Cells as an in-vitro Model of Circulating Tumor Cells. J Maxillofac Oral Surg 2024; 23:896-908. [PMID: 39118911 PMCID: PMC11303642 DOI: 10.1007/s12663-024-02250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and circulating tumor microemboli (CTM) has emerged as both a challenge to the standard view of metastasis, and as a valuable means for understanding genotypic and phenotypic variability shown even within the same cancer type. However, in the case of salivary gland neoplasms, limited data are available for the role that CTCs and CTMs play in metastasis and secondary tumor formation.ru.AQ1 In response to this, we propose that similarities between in vitro clusters of cultured salivary gland cancer cells may act as a surrogate model for in vivo CTCs and CTMs isolated from patients. Materials and Methods Using techniques in immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, and 2-dimensional migration, we isolated and characterized a group of cohort cells from a commercially available cell line (HTB-41). Results: Here, cells exhibited a hybrid phenotype with simultaneous expression of both epithelial and mesenchymal markers (E-cadherin, vimentin, and α-SMA). Cohort cells also exhibited increased migration in comparison to parental cells. Conclusion Data suggest that these isolated cell clusters may fucntion as a potential in vitro model of CTCs and CTMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callie Mincy
- Department of Growth, Development and Structure, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Alton, IL USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL USA
| | - Luke Revelt
- Department of Growth, Development and Structure, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Alton, IL USA
| | - Kathryn Carter
- Department of Growth, Development and Structure, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Alton, IL USA
| | - Donald Reed
- Department of Growth, Development and Structure, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Alton, IL USA
| | - Anita Joy
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, 7500 Cambridge Ave., Houston, TX USA
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Subbalakshmi AR, Ramisetty S, Mohanty A, Pareek S, Do D, Shrestha S, Khan A, Talwar N, Tan T, Vishnubhotla P, Singhal SS, Salgia R, Kulkarni P. Phenotypic Plasticity and Cancer: A System Biology Perspective. J Clin Med 2024; 13:4302. [PMID: 39124569 PMCID: PMC11313222 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13154302] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major axis of phenotypic plasticity not only in diseased conditions such as cancer metastasis and fibrosis but also during normal development and wound healing. Yet-another important axis of plasticity with metastatic implications includes the cancer stem cell (CSCs) and non-CSC transitions. However, in both processes, epithelial (E) and mesenchymal (M) phenotypes are not merely binary states. Cancer cells acquire a spectrum of phenotypes with traits, properties, and markers of both E and M phenotypes, giving rise to intermediary hybrid (E/M) phenotypes. E/M cells play an important role in tumor initiation, metastasis, and disease progression in multiple cancers. Furthermore, the hybrid phenotypes also play a major role in causing therapeutic resistance in cancer. Here, we discuss how a systems biology perspective on the problem, which is implicit in the 'Team Medicine' approach outlined in the theme of this Special Issue of The Journal of Clinical Medicine and includes an interdisciplinary team of experts, is more likely to shed new light on EMT in cancer and help us to identify novel therapeutics and strategies to target phenotypic plasticity in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Sravani Ramisetty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Atish Mohanty
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Siddhika Pareek
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Dana Do
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Sagun Shrestha
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Phoenix, Goodyear, AZ 85338, USA
| | - Ajaz Khan
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Chicago, Zion, IL 60099, USA
| | - Neel Talwar
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope San Bernardino Road, Upland, CA 91786, USA
| | - Tingting Tan
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660, USA
| | - Priya Vishnubhotla
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Atlanta, Newnan, GA 30265, USA
| | - Sharad S. Singhal
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (A.R.S.)
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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7
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Stehbens SJ, Scarpa E, White MD. Perspectives in collective cell migration - moving forward. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261549. [PMID: 38904172 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Collective cell migration, where cells move as a cohesive unit, is a vital process underlying morphogenesis and cancer metastasis. Thanks to recent advances in imaging and modelling, we are beginning to understand the intricate relationship between a cell and its microenvironment and how this shapes cell polarity, metabolism and modes of migration. The use of biophysical and mathematical models offers a fresh perspective on how cells migrate collectively, either flowing in a fluid-like state or transitioning to more static states. Continuing to unite researchers in biology, physics and mathematics will enable us to decode more complex biological behaviours that underly collective cell migration; only then can we understand how this coordinated movement of cells influences the formation and organisation of tissues and directs the spread of metastatic cancer. In this Perspective, we highlight exciting discoveries, emerging themes and common challenges that have arisen in recent years, and possible ways forward to bridge the gaps in our current understanding of collective cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Stehbens
- The University of Queensland, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Elena Scarpa
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Melanie D White
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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8
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Kotsifaki A, Maroulaki S, Armakolas A. Exploring the Immunological Profile in Breast Cancer: Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Prognosis through Circulating Tumor Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4832. [PMID: 38732051 PMCID: PMC11084220 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This review offers a comprehensive exploration of the intricate immunological landscape of breast cancer (BC), focusing on recent advances in diagnosis and prognosis through the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Positioned within the broader context of BC research, it underscores the pivotal role of the immune system in shaping the disease's progression. The primary objective of this investigation is to synthesize current knowledge on the immunological aspects of BC, with a particular emphasis on the diagnostic and prognostic potential offered by CTCs. This review adopts a thorough examination of the relevant literature, incorporating recent breakthroughs in the field. The methodology section succinctly outlines the approach, with a specific focus on CTC analysis and its implications for BC diagnosis and prognosis. Through this review, insights into the dynamic interplay between the immune system and BC are highlighted, with a specific emphasis on the role of CTCs in advancing diagnostic methodologies and refining prognostic assessments. Furthermore, this review presents objective and substantiated results, contributing to a deeper understanding of the immunological complexity in BC. In conclusion, this investigation underscores the significance of exploring the immunological profile of BC patients, providing valuable insights into novel advances in diagnosis and prognosis through the utilization of CTCs. The objective presentation of findings emphasizes the crucial role of the immune system in BC dynamics, thereby opening avenues for enhanced clinical management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Athanasios Armakolas
- Physiology Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.K.); (S.M.)
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9
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Wu Q, Gu Z, Shang B, Wan D, Zhang Q, Zhang X, Xie P, Cheng S, Zhang W, Zhang K. Circulating tumor cell clustering modulates RNA splicing and polyadenylation to facilitate metastasis. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216757. [PMID: 38417668 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters exhibit significantly higher metastatic potential compared to single CTCs. However, the underlying mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear, and the role of posttranscriptional RNA regulation in CTC clusters has not been explored. Here, we conducted a comparative analysis of alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA) profiles between single CTCs and CTC clusters. We identified 994 and 836 AS events in single CTCs and CTC clusters, respectively, with ∼20% of AS events showing differential regulation between the two cell types. A key event in this differential splicing was observed in SRSF6, which disrupted AS profiles and contributed to the increased malignancy of CTC clusters. Regarding APA, we found a global lengthening of 3' UTRs in CTC clusters compared to single CTCs. This alteration was primarily governed by 14 core APA factors, particularly PPP1CA. The modified APA profiles facilitated the cell cycle progression of CTC clusters and indicated their reduced susceptibility to oxidative stress. Further investigation revealed that the proportion of H2AFY mRNA with long 3' UTR instead of short 3' UTR was higher in CTC clusters than single CTCs. The AU-rich elements (AREs) within the long 3' UTR of H2AFY mRNA enhance mRNA stability and translation activity, resulting in promoting cell proliferation and invasion, which potentially facilitate the establishment and rapid formation of metastatic tumors mediated by CTC clusters. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms driving CTC cluster metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanyou Wu
- Division of Abdominal Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Zhaoru Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Bingqing Shang
- Department of Urology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Duo Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Peipei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Shujun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Kaitai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
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10
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Vora N, Shekar P, Hanulia T, Esmail M, Patra A, Georgakoudi I. Deep learning-enabled detection of rare circulating tumor cell clusters in whole blood using label-free, flow cytometry. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2237-2252. [PMID: 38456773 PMCID: PMC11019838 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00694h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Metastatic tumors have poor prognoses for progression-free and overall survival for all cancer patients. Rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and rarer circulating tumor cell clusters (CTCCs) are potential biomarkers of metastatic growth, with CTCCs representing an increased risk factor for metastasis. Current detection platforms are optimized for ex vivo detection of CTCs only. Microfluidic chips and size exclusion methods have been proposed for CTCC detection; however, they lack in vivo utility and real-time monitoring capability. Confocal backscatter and fluorescence flow cytometry (BSFC) has been used for label-free detection of CTCCs in whole blood based on machine learning (ML) enabled peak classification. Here, we expand to a deep-learning (DL)-based, peak detection and classification model to detect CTCCs in whole blood data. We demonstrate that DL-based BSFC has a low false alarm rate of 0.78 events per min with a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.943 between detected events and expected events. DL-based BSFC of whole blood maintains a detection purity of 72% and a sensitivity of 35.3% for both homotypic and heterotypic CTCCs starting at a minimum size of two cells. We also demonstrate through artificial spiking studies that DL-based BSFC is sensitive to changes in the number of CTCCs present in the samples and does not add variability in detection beyond the expected variability from Poisson statistics. The performance established by DL-based BSFC motivates its use for in vivo detection of CTCCs. Using transfer learning, we additionally validate DL-based BSFC on blood samples from different species and cancer cell types. Further developments of label-free BSFC to enhance throughput could lead to critical applications in the clinical detection of CTCCs and ex vivo isolation of CTCC from whole blood with minimal disruption and processing steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilay Vora
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
| | - Prashant Shekar
- Department of Mathematics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA
| | - Taras Hanulia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Michael Esmail
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Abani Patra
- Data Intensive Studies Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Irene Georgakoudi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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11
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Sayed ZS, Khattap MG, Madkour MA, Yasen NS, Elbary HA, Elsayed RA, Abdelkawy DA, Wadan AHS, Omar I, Nafady MH. Circulating tumor cells clusters and their role in Breast cancer metastasis; a review of literature. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:94. [PMID: 38557916 PMCID: PMC10984915 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-00949-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a significant and deadly threat to women globally. Moreover, Breast cancer metastasis is a complicated process involving multiple biological stages, which is considered a substantial cause of death, where cancer cells spread from the original tumor to other organs in the body-representing the primary mortality factor. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells detached from the primary or metastatic tumor and enter the bloodstream, allowing them to establish new metastatic sites. CTCs can travel alone or in groups called CTC clusters. Studies have shown that CTC clusters have more potential for metastasis and a poorer prognosis than individual CTCs in breast cancer patients. However, our understanding of CTC clusters' formation, structure, function, and detection is still limited. This review summarizes the current knowledge of CTC clusters' biological properties, isolation, and prognostic significance in breast cancer. It also highlights the challenges and future directions for research and clinical application of CTC clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab S Sayed
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | - Mohamed G Khattap
- Technology of Radiology and Medical Imaging Program, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Technology, Galala University, Suez, 435611, Egypt
| | | | - Noha S Yasen
- Radiology and Imaging Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Health Science Technology, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa, Al Mansurah, Egypt
| | - Hanan A Elbary
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | - Reem A Elsayed
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | - Dalia A Abdelkawy
- Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Misr University for Science and Technology, 26Th of July Corridor, 6Th of October, Giza Governorate, Postal Code: 77, Egypt
| | | | - Islam Omar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Mohamed H Nafady
- Radiation Sciences Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
- Faculty of Applied Health Science Technology, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of october, Egypt.
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12
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Ouyang R, Geng C, Li J, Jiang Q, Shen H, Zhang Y, Liu X, Liu B, Wu J, Miao Y. Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials-mediated detection of circulating tumor cells. RSC Adv 2024; 14:10672-10686. [PMID: 38572345 PMCID: PMC10988362 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00548a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Photothermal materials have shown great potential for cancer detection and treatment due to their excellent photothermal effects. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that are shed from the primary tumor into the blood and metastasize. In contrast to other tumor markers that are free in the blood, CTCs are a collective term for all types of tumor cells present in the peripheral blood, a source of tumor metastasis, and clear evidence of tumor presence. CTCs detection enables early detection, diagnosis and treatment of tumors, and plays an important role in cancer prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the application of various photothermal materials in CTC detection, including gold, carbon, molybdenum, phosphorus, etc. and describes the significance of CTC detection for early tumor diagnosis and tumor prognosis. Focus is also put on how various photothermal materials play their roles in CTCs detection, including CT, imaging and photoacoustic and therapeutic roles. The physicochemical properties, shapes, and photothermal properties of various photothermal materials are discussed to improve the detection sensitivity and efficiency and to reduce the damage to normal cells. These photothermal materials are capable of converting radiant light energy into thermal energy for highly-sensitive CTCs detection and improving their photothermal properties by various methods, and have achieved good results in various experiments. The use of photothermal materials for CTCs detection is becoming more and more widespread and can be of significant help in early cancer screening and later treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruizhuo Ouyang
- School of Materials and Chemistry & Institute of Bismuth Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
| | - Chongrui Geng
- School of Materials and Chemistry & Institute of Bismuth Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
| | - Jun Li
- Hunan Shizhuyuan Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd Chenzhou Hunan 423037 China
| | - Qiliang Jiang
- Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine Shanghai 200030 China
| | - Hongyu Shen
- School of Materials and Chemistry & Institute of Bismuth Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
| | - Yulong Zhang
- School of Materials and Chemistry & Institute of Bismuth Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
| | - Xueyu Liu
- School of Materials and Chemistry & Institute of Bismuth Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
| | - Baolin Liu
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
| | - Jingxiang Wu
- Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine Shanghai 200030 China
| | - Yuqing Miao
- School of Materials and Chemistry & Institute of Bismuth Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology Shanghai 200093 China
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13
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Xie Q, Liu S, Zhang S, Liao L, Xiao Z, Wang S, Zhang P. Research progress on the multi-omics and survival status of circulating tumor cells. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:49. [PMID: 38427120 PMCID: PMC10907490 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01309-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
In the dynamic process of metastasis, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) emanate from the primary solid tumor and subsequently acquire the capacity to disengage from the basement membrane, facilitating their infiltration into the vascular system via the interstitial tissue. Given the pivotal role of CTCs in the intricate hematogenous metastasis, they have emerged as an essential resource for a deeper comprehension of cancer metastasis while also serving as a cornerstone for the development of new indicators for early cancer screening and new therapeutic targets. In the epoch of precision medicine, as CTC enrichment and separation technologies continually advance and reach full fruition, the domain of CTC research has transcended the mere straightforward detection and quantification. The rapid advancement of CTC analysis platforms has presented a compelling opportunity for in-depth exploration of CTCs within the bloodstream. Here, we provide an overview of the current status and research significance of multi-omics studies on CTCs, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. These studies have contributed to uncovering the unique heterogeneity of CTCs and identifying potential metastatic targets as well as specific recognition sites. We also review the impact of various states of CTCs in the bloodstream on their metastatic potential, such as clustered CTCs, interactions with other blood components, and the phenotypic states of CTCs after undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Within this context, we also discuss the therapeutic implications and potential of CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingming Xie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shilei Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Sai Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqiu Liao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hunan Clinical Meditech Research Center for Breast Cancer, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Xiao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hunan Clinical Meditech Research Center for Breast Cancer, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shouman Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hunan Clinical Meditech Research Center for Breast Cancer, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Hao YJ, Chang LW, Yang CY, Lo LC, Lin CP, Jian YW, Jiang JK, Tseng FG. The rare circulating tumor microemboli as a biomarker contributes to predicting early colorectal cancer recurrences after medical treatment. Transl Res 2024; 263:1-14. [PMID: 37558203 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Early prognosis of cancer recurrence remains difficult partially due to insufficient and ineffective screening biomarkers or regimes. This study evaluated the rare circulating tumor microemboli (CTM) from liquid biopsy individually and together with circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and serum CEA/CA19-9 in a panel, on early prediction of colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence. Stained CTCs/CTM were detected by a microfluidic chip-based automatic rare-cell imaging platform. ROC, AUC, Kaplan-Meier survival, and Cox proportional hazard models regarding 4 selected biomarkers were analyzed. The relative risk, odds ratio, predictive accuracy, and positive/negative predictive value of biomarkers individually and in combination, to predict CRC recurrence were assessed and preliminarily validated. The EpCAM+Hochest+CD45- CTCs/CTM could be found in all cancer stages, where more recurrences were observed in late-stage cases. Significant correlations between CTCs/CTM with metastatic stages and clinical treatment were illustrated. CA19-9 and CTM could be seen as independent risk factors in patient survivals, while stratified patients by grouped biomarkers on the Kaplan-Meier analyses presented more significant differences in predicting CRC recurrences. By monitoring the panel of selected biomarkers, disease progressions of 4 CRC patients during follow-up visits after first treatments within 3 years were predicted successfully. This study unveiled the value of rare CTM on clinical studies and a panel of selected biomarkers on predicting CRC recurrences in patients at the early time after medical treatment, in which the CTM and serum CA19-9 could be applied in clinical surveillance and CRC management to improve the accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Jie Hao
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Lu-Wey Chang
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yung Yang
- Department of Teaching and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Commission for General Education, National United University, Miaoli, Taiwan; General Education Center, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Chuan Lo
- National Genomics Center for Clinical and Biotechnological Applications, Cancer and Immunology Research Center, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ping Lin
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Wei Jian
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Kai Jiang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fan-Gang Tseng
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Research Center for Applied Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
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15
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Nicolazzo C, Francescangeli F, Magri V, Giuliani A, Zeuner A, Gazzaniga P. Is cancer an intelligent species? Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:1201-1218. [PMID: 37540301 PMCID: PMC10713722 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10123-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Some relevant emerging properties of intelligent systems are "adaptation to a changing environment," "reaction to unexpected situations," "capacity of problem solving," and "ability to communicate." Single cells have remarkable abilities to adapt, make adequate context-dependent decision, take constructive actions, and communicate, thus theoretically meeting all the above-mentioned requirements. From a biological point of view, cancer can be viewed as an invasive species, composed of cells that move from primary to distant sites, being continuously exposed to changes in the environmental conditions. Blood represents the first hostile habitat that a cancer cell encounters once detached from the primary site, so that cancer cells must rapidly carry out multiple adaptation strategies to survive. The aim of this review was to deepen the adaptation mechanisms of cancer cells in the blood microenvironment, particularly referring to four adaptation strategies typical of animal species (phenotypic adaptation, metabolic adaptation, niche adaptation, and collective adaptation), which together define the broad concept of biological intelligence. We provided evidence that the required adaptations (either structural, metabolic, and related to metastatic niche formation) and "social" behavior are useful principles allowing putting into a coherent frame many features of circulating cancer cells. This interpretative frame is described by the comparison with analog behavioral traits typical of various animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Nicolazzo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Francescangeli
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Magri
- Department of Pathology, Oncology and Radiology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Giuliani
- Environment and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Ann Zeuner
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Gazzaniga
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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16
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Bowley TY, Merkley SD, Lagutina IV, Ortiz MC, Lee M, Tawfik B, Marchetti D. Targeting Translation and the Cell Cycle Inversely Affects CTC Metabolism but Not Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5263. [PMID: 37958436 PMCID: PMC10650766 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) is significantly associated with poor prognosis and is diagnosed in 80% of patients at autopsy. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are "seeds" of metastasis and the smallest functional units of cancer. Our multilevel approach has previously identified a CTC RPL/RPS gene signature directly linked to MBM onset. We hypothesized that targeting ribogenesis prevents MBM/metastasis in CTC-derived xenografts. We treated parallel cohorts of MBM mice with FDA-approved protein translation inhibitor omacetaxine with or without CDK4/CDK6 inhibitor palbociclib, and monitored metastatic development and cell proliferation. Necropsies and IVIS imaging showed decreased MBM/extracranial metastasis in drug-treated mice, and RNA-Seq on mouse-blood-derived CTCs revealed downregulation of four RPL/RPS genes. However, mitochondrial stress tests and RT-qPCR showed that omacetaxine and palbociclib inversely affected glycolytic metabolism, demonstrating that dual targeting of cell translation/proliferation is critical to suppress plasticity in metastasis-competent CTCs. Equally relevant, we provide the first-ever functional metabolic characterization of patient-derived circulating neoplastic cells/CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetiana Y. Bowley
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (T.Y.B.); (S.D.M.); (M.C.O.); (M.L.)
| | - Seth D. Merkley
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (T.Y.B.); (S.D.M.); (M.C.O.); (M.L.)
| | - Irina V. Lagutina
- Animal Models Shared Resource, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM 87120, USA;
| | - Mireya C. Ortiz
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (T.Y.B.); (S.D.M.); (M.C.O.); (M.L.)
| | - Margaret Lee
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (T.Y.B.); (S.D.M.); (M.C.O.); (M.L.)
| | - Bernard Tawfik
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM 87120, USA;
| | - Dario Marchetti
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; (T.Y.B.); (S.D.M.); (M.C.O.); (M.L.)
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17
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Yu J, Yang M, Peng T, Liu Y, Cao Y. Evaluation of cell surface vimentin positive circulating tumor cells as a prognostic biomarker for stage III/IV colorectal cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18791. [PMID: 37914786 PMCID: PMC10620146 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45951-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, little is known about the phenotypes of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), particularly epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, and their impact on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study aims to investigate the CTC phenotypes and their prognostic implications in stage III/IV CRC. Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent CTC detection at two hospitals were included. CTCs were detected using a mesenchymal CTC kit, and the clinical and pathological characteristics of CTCs were compared with those of cell surface vimentin-positive CTCs (CSV-CTCs). Disease-free survival (DFS) was assessed and used as an indicator of CTC phenotype-related prognosis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were made to identify risk factors, and nomogram models were employed for prognostic prediction. A total of 82 patients were enrolled, with a CTC detection rate of 86.6%. Among the detected CTCs, 60% were CSV-CTCs. The CSV-CTC count showed a positive correlation with the T-stage, the M-stage, and the location of the primary tumor (P = 0.01, P = 0.014, and P = 0.01, respectively). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that CSV-CTCs were associated with worse DFS in patients receiving first-line oxaliplatin chemotherapy (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.78, 95% CI 1.55-9.26, p = 0.04). When the cut-off value of the CSV-CTC count was 3, the optimal prognostic prediction was achieved. Compound models considering CSV-CTCs, TNM staging, the site of the primary tumor and the Ras gene status yielded the best results in both the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the decision curve analysis (DCA). This study indicates that CSV-CTCs predominate in CTCs of CRC patients, and a count of CSV-CTCs ≥ 3 is an independent risk factor for worse prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazi Yu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Ningbo Medical Centre Li Huili Hospital, Ningbo, People's Republic of China
- Department of General Surgery, Ningbo Medical Treatment Centre Li Huili Hospital, 1111 Jiangnan Road, Ningbo, 315000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mian Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Ningbo Medical Centre Li Huili Hospital, Ningbo, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Peng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Ningbo Medical Centre Li Huili Hospital, Ningbo, People's Republic of China
| | - Yelei Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuepeng Cao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Haerinck J, Goossens S, Berx G. The epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity landscape: principles of design and mechanisms of regulation. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:590-609. [PMID: 37169858 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00601-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) enables cells to interconvert between several states across the epithelial-mesenchymal landscape, thereby acquiring hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypic features. This plasticity is crucial for embryonic development and wound healing, but also underlies the acquisition of several malignant traits during cancer progression. Recent research using systems biology and single-cell profiling methods has provided novel insights into the main forces that shape EMP, which include the microenvironment, lineage specification and cell identity, and the genome. Additionally, key roles have emerged for hysteresis (cell memory) and cellular noise, which can drive stochastic transitions between cell states. Here, we review these forces and the distinct but interwoven layers of regulatory control that stabilize EMP states or facilitate epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) and discuss the therapeutic potential of manipulating the EMP landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jef Haerinck
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Unit for Translational Research in Oncology, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
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19
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Hapeman JD, Carneiro CS, Nedelcu AM. A model for the dissemination of circulating tumour cell clusters involving platelet recruitment and a plastic switch between cooperative and individual behaviours. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:39. [PMID: 37605189 PMCID: PMC10440896 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02147-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In spite of extensive research, cancer remains a major health problem worldwide. As cancer progresses, cells acquire traits that allow them to disperse and disseminate to distant locations in the body - a process known as metastasis. While in the vasculature, these cells are referred to as circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and can manifest either as single cells or clusters of cells (i.e., CTC clusters), with the latter being the most aggressive. The increased metastatic potential of CTC clusters is generally associated with cooperative group benefits in terms of survival, including increased resistance to shear stress, anoikis, immune attacks and drugs. However, the adoption of a group phenotype poses a challenge when exiting the vasculature (extravasation) as the large size can hinder the passage through vessel walls. Despite their significant role in the metastatic process, the mechanisms through which CTC clusters extravasate remain largely unknown. Based on the observed in vivo association between CTC clusters and platelets, we hypothesized that cancer cells take advantage of the platelet-derived Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF-β1) - a signalling factor that has been widely implicated in many aspects of cancer, to facilitate their own dissemination. To address this possibility, we evaluated the effect of exogenous TGF-β1 on an experimentally evolved non-small cell lung cancer cell line that we previously developed and used to investigate the biology of CTC clusters. RESULTS We found that exogenous TGF-β1 induced the dissociation of clusters in suspension into adherent single cells. Once adhered, cells released their own TGF-β1 and were able to individually migrate and invade in the absence of exogenous TGF-β1. Based on these findings we developed a model that involves a TGF-β1-mediated plastic switch between a cooperative phenotype and a single-celled stage that enables the extravasation of CTC clusters. CONCLUSIONS This model allows for the possibility that therapies can be developed against TGF-β1 signalling components and/or TGF-β1 target genes to suppress the metastatic potential of CTC clusters. Considering the negative impact that metastasis has on cancer prognosis and the lack of therapies against this process, interfering with the ability of CTC clusters to switch between cooperative and individual behaviours could provide new strategies to improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorian D Hapeman
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Caroline S Carneiro
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Aurora M Nedelcu
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
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20
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Muraro E, Brisotto G. Circulating tumor cells and host immunity: A tricky liaison. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 381:131-157. [PMID: 37739482 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
During their dissemination, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) steadily face the immune system, which is a key player in the whole metastatic cascade, from intravasation to the CTC colonization of distant sites. In this chapter, we will go through the description of immune cells involved in this controversial dialogue encompassing both the anti-tumor activity and the tumor-promoting and immunosuppressive function mediated by several circulating immune effectors as natural killer (NK) cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, T helper 17, regulatory T cells, neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, dendritic cells, and platelets. Then, we will report on the same interaction from the CTCs point of view, depicting the direct and indirect mechanisms of crosstalk with the above mentioned immune cells. Finally, we will report the recent literature evidence on the potential prognostic role of the integrated CTCs and immune cells monitoring in cancer patients management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Muraro
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers Units, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giulia Brisotto
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers Units, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Aviano, Italy.
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21
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Vora N, Shekar P, Esmail M, Patra A, Georgakoudi I. Deep Learning-Enabled, Detection of Rare Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters in Whole Blood Using Label-free, Flow Cytometry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.01.551485. [PMID: 37577660 PMCID: PMC10418242 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.01.551485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic tumors have poor prognoses for progression-free and overall survival for all cancer patients. Rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and rarer circulating tumor cell clusters (CTCCs) are potential biomarkers of metastatic growth, with CTCCs representing an increased risk factor for metastasis. Current detection platforms are optimized for ex vivo detection of CTCs only. Microfluidic chips and size exclusion methods have been proposed for CTCC detection; however, they lack in vivo utility and real-time monitoring capability. Confocal backscatter and fluorescence flow cytometry (BSFC) has been used for label-free detection of CTCCs in whole blood based on machine learning (ML) enabled peak classification. Here, we expand to a deep-learning (DL) -based, peak detection and classification model to detect CTCCs in whole blood data. We demonstrate that DL-based BSFC has a low false alarm rate of 0.78 events/min with a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.943 between detected events and expected events. DL-based BSFC of whole blood maintains a detection purity of 72% and a sensitivity of 35.3% for both homotypic and heterotypic CTCCs starting at a minimum size of two cells. We also demonstrate through artificial spiking studies that DL-based BSFC is sensitive to changes in the number of CTCCs present in the samples and does not add variability in detection beyond the expected variability from Poisson statistics. The performance established by DL-based BSFC motivates its use for in vivo detection of CTCCs. Further developments of label-free BSFC to enhance throughput could lead to critical applications in the clinical detection of CTCCs and ex vivo isolation of CTCC from whole blood with minimal disruption and processing steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilay Vora
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Prashant Shekar
- Department of Mathematics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA
| | - Michael Esmail
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- # Current Affiliation: University of Massachusetts Amherst Animal Care Services, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Abani Patra
- Data Intensive Studies Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Irene Georgakoudi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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22
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Mutneja A, Karmakar S. Method to probe the pronounced growth of correlation lengths in active glass-forming liquids using an elongated probe. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:L022601. [PMID: 37723727 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.l022601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
The growth of correlation lengths in equilibrium glass-forming liquids near the glass transition is considered a critical finding in the quest to understand the physics of glass formation. These understandings helped us understand various dynamical phenomena observed in supercooled liquids. It is known that at least two different length scales exist; one is of thermodynamic origin, while the other is dynamical in nature. Recent observations of glassy dynamics in biological and synthetic systems where the external or internal driving source controls the dynamics, apart from the usual thermal noise, lead to the emergence of the field of active glassy matter. A question of whether the physics of glass formation in these active systems is also accompanied by growing dynamic and static lengths is indeed timely. In this article, we probe the growth of dynamic and static lengths in a model active glass system using rod-like elongated probe particles, an experimentally viable method. We show that the dynamic and static lengths in these nonequilibrium systems grow much more rapidly than their passive counterparts. We then offer an understanding of the violation of the Stokes-Einstein relation and Stokes-Einstein-Debye relation using these lengths via a scaling theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoop Mutneja
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal,Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad, Telangana 500107, India
| | - Smarajit Karmakar
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal,Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad, Telangana 500107, India
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23
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Su CY, Wu A, Dong Z, Miller CP, Suarez A, Ewald AJ, Ahn EH, Kim DH. Tumor stromal topography promotes chemoresistance in migrating breast cancer cell clusters. Biomaterials 2023; 298:122128. [PMID: 37121102 PMCID: PMC10291492 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular clustering provides cancer cells with survival advantages and facilitates metastasis. At the tumor migration front, cancer cell clusters are surrounded by an aligned stromal topography. It remains unknown whether aligned stromal topography regulates the resistance of migrating cancer cell clusters to therapeutics. Using a hybrid nanopatterned model to characterize breast cancer cell clusters at the migration front with aligned stromal topography, we demonstrate that topography-induced migrating cancer cell clusters exhibit upregulated cytochrome P450 family 1 (CYP1) drug metabolism and downregulated glycolysis gene signatures, which correlates with unfavorable prognosis. Screening on approved oncology drugs shows that cancer cell clusters on aligned stromal topography are more resistant to diverse chemotherapeutics. Full-dose drug testings further indicate that topography induces drug resistance of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cell clusters to doxorubicin and tamoxifen and triple-negative breast cancer cell clusters to doxorubicin by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/CYP1 pathways. Inhibiting the AhR/CYP1 pathway restores reactive oxygen species-mediated drug sensitivity to migrating cancer cell clusters, suggesting a plausible therapeutic direction for preventing metastatic recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yi Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alex Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Zhipeng Dong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Chris P Miller
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Allister Suarez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrew J Ewald
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Eun Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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24
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Kurma K, Alix-Panabières C. Mechanobiology and survival strategies of circulating tumor cells: a process towards the invasive and metastatic phenotype. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1188499. [PMID: 37215087 PMCID: PMC10196185 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1188499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic progression is the deadliest feature of cancer. Cancer cell growth, invasion, intravasation, circulation, arrest/adhesion and extravasation require specific mechanical properties to allow cell survival and the completion of the metastatic cascade. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) come into contact with the capillary bed during extravasation/intravasation at the beginning of the metastatic cascade. However, CTC mechanobiology and survival strategies in the bloodstream, and specifically in the microcirculation, are not well known. A fraction of CTCs can extravasate and colonize distant areas despite the biomechanical constriction forces that are exerted by the microcirculation and that strongly decrease tumor cell survival. Furthermore, accumulating evidence shows that several CTC adaptations, via molecular factors and interactions with blood components (e.g., immune cells and platelets inside capillaries), may promote metastasis formation. To better understand CTC journey in the microcirculation as part of the metastatic cascade, we reviewed how CTC mechanobiology and interaction with other cell types in the bloodstream help them to survive the harsh conditions in the circulatory system and to metastasize in distant organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerthi Kurma
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH), University Medical Centre of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (E LBS), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Catherine Alix-Panabières
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH), University Medical Centre of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (E LBS), Hamburg, Germany
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25
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Poellmann MJ, Bu J, Liu S, Wang AZ, Seyedin SN, Chandrasekharan C, Hong H, Kim Y, Caster JM, Hong S. Nanotechnology and machine learning enable circulating tumor cells as a reliable biomarker for radiotherapy responses of gastrointestinal cancer patients. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 226:115117. [PMID: 36753988 PMCID: PMC10034717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A highly sensitive, circulating tumor cell (CTC)-based liquid biopsy was used to monitor gastrointestinal cancer patients during treatment to determine if CTC abundance was predictive of disease recurrence. The approach used a combination of biomimetic cell rolling on recombinant E-selectin and dendrimer-mediated multivalent immunocapture at the nanoscale to purify CTCs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Due to the exceptionally high numbers of CTCs captured, a machine learning algorithm approach was developed to efficiently and reliably quantify abundance of immunocytochemically-labeled cells. A convolutional neural network and logistic regression model achieved 82.9% true-positive identification of CTCs with a false positive rate below 0.1% on a validation set. The approach was then used to quantify CTC abundance in peripheral blood samples from 27 subjects before, during, and following treatments. Samples drawn from the patients either prior to receiving radiotherapy or early in chemotherapy had a median 50 CTC ml-1 whole blood (range 0.6-541.6). We found that the CTC counts drawn 3 months post treatment were predictive of disease progression (p = .045). This approach to quantifying CTC abundance may be a clinically impactful in the timely determination of gastrointestinal cancer progression or response to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Poellmann
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA; Capio Biosciences, Inc., Madison, WI, 53719, USA and Capio Biosciences Korea, Incheon, 21983 South Korea
| | - Jiyoon Bu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA; Capio Biosciences, Inc., Madison, WI, 53719, USA and Capio Biosciences Korea, Incheon, 21983 South Korea; Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, South Korea
| | - Stanley Liu
- Capio Biosciences, Inc., Madison, WI, 53719, USA and Capio Biosciences Korea, Incheon, 21983 South Korea
| | - Andrew Z Wang
- Capio Biosciences, Inc., Madison, WI, 53719, USA and Capio Biosciences Korea, Incheon, 21983 South Korea; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Steven N Seyedin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | | | - Heejoo Hong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - YoungSoo Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, South Korea
| | - Joseph M Caster
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Seungpyo Hong
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA; Capio Biosciences, Inc., Madison, WI, 53719, USA and Capio Biosciences Korea, Incheon, 21983 South Korea; Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, South Korea; Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA; Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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26
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Zhou J, Vorobyeva A, Luan Q, Papautsky I. Single Cell Analysis of Inertial Migration by Circulating Tumor Cells and Clusters. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:787. [PMID: 37421020 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis provides a wealth of information regarding the molecular landscape of the tumor cells responding to extracellular stimulations, which has greatly advanced the research in cancer biology. In this work, we adapt such a concept for the analysis of inertial migration of cells and clusters, which is promising for cancer liquid biopsy, by isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CTC clusters. Using high-speed camera tracking live individual tumor cells and cell clusters, the behavior of inertial migration was profiled in unprecedented detail. We found that inertial migration is heterogeneous spatially, depending on the initial cross-sectional location. The lateral migration velocity peaks at about 25% of the channel width away from the sidewalls for both single cells and clusters. More importantly, while the doublets of the cell clusters migrate significantly faster than single cells (~two times faster), cell triplets unexpectedly have similar migration velocities to doublets, which seemingly disagrees with the size-dependent nature of inertial migration. Further analysis indicates that the cluster shape or format (for example, triplets can be in string format or triangle format) plays a significant role in the migration of more complex cell clusters. We found that the migration velocity of a string triplet is statistically comparable to that of a single cell while the triangle triplets can migrate slightly faster than doublets, suggesting that size-based sorting of cells and clusters can be challenging depending on the cluster format. Undoubtedly, these new findings need to be considered in the translation of inertial microfluidic technology for CTC cluster detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alexandra Vorobyeva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Qiyue Luan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ian Papautsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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27
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Reimer F, Bryan S, Legler K, Karn T, Eppenberger-Castori S, Matschke J, Pereira-Veiga T, Wikman H, Witzel I, Müller V, Schmalfeldt B, Milde-Langosch K, Schumacher U, Stürken C, Oliveira-Ferrer L. The role of the desmosomal protein desmocollin 2 in tumour progression in triple negative breast cancer patients. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:47. [PMID: 36927383 PMCID: PMC10018948 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02896-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The disruption of epithelial features represents a critical step during breast cancer spread. In this context, the dysregulation of desmosomal proteins has been associated with malignant progression and metastasis formation. Curiously, both tumour suppressive and pro-metastatic roles have been attributed to desmosomal structures in different cancer entities. In the present study, we describe the pro-metastatic role of the desmosomal protein desmocollin 2 (DSC2) in breast cancer. METHODS We analysed the prognostic role of DSC2 at mRNA and protein level using microarray data, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Functional consequences of DSC2 overexpression and DSC2 knock down were investigated in the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line MDA-MB-231 and its brain-seeking subline MDA-MB-231-BR, respectively in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We found a significantly higher DSC2 expression in the more aggressive molecular subtypes HER2-positive and TNBC than in luminal breast cancers, as well as a significant correlation between increased DSC2 expression and a shorter disease-free-also in multivariate analysis-and overall survival. Additionally, a significant association between DSC2 expression in the primary tumour and an increased frequency of cerebral and lung metastasis could be observed. In vitro, ectopic DSC2 expression or DSC2 down-regulation in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-BR led to a significant tumour cell aggregation increase and decrease, respectively. Furthermore, tumour cells displaying higher DSC2 levels showed increased chemoresistance in 3D structures, but not 2D monolayer structures, suggesting the importance of cell aggregation as a means for reduced drug diffusion. In an in vivo brain dissemination xenograft mouse model, reduced expression of DSC2 in the brain-seeking TNBC cells led to a decreased amount of circulating tumour cells/clusters and, in turn, to fewer and smaller brain metastatic lesions. CONCLUSION We conclude that high DSC2 expression in primary TNBC is associated with a poorer prognosis, firstly by increasing tumour cell aggregation, secondly by reducing the diffusion and effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents, and, lastly, by promoting the circulation and survival of tumour cell clusters, each of which facilitates distant organ colonisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Reimer
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Bryan
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karen Legler
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Jakob Matschke
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thais Pereira-Veiga
- Institute of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Harriet Wikman
- Institute of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Isabell Witzel
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Volkmar Müller
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmalfeldt
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karin Milde-Langosch
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Udo Schumacher
- Institute of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Anatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christine Stürken
- Institute of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Anatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,MSH Medical School of Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer
- Department of Gynaecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
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28
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Matsumura H, Shen LTW, Isozaki A, Mikami H, Yuan D, Miura T, Kondo Y, Mori T, Kusumoto Y, Nishikawa M, Yasumoto A, Ueda A, Bando H, Hara H, Liu Y, Deng Y, Sonoshita M, Yatomi Y, Goda K, Matsusaka S. Virtual-freezing fluorescence imaging flow cytometry with 5-aminolevulinic acid stimulation and antibody labeling for detecting all forms of circulating tumor cells. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1561-1575. [PMID: 36648503 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00856d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are precursors to cancer metastasis. In blood circulation, they take various forms such as single CTCs, CTC clusters, and CTC-leukocyte clusters, all of which have unique characteristics in terms of physiological function and have been a subject of extensive research in the last several years. Unfortunately, conventional methods are limited in accurately analysing the highly heterogeneous nature of CTCs. Here we present an effective strategy for simultaneously analysing all forms of CTCs in blood by virtual-freezing fluorescence imaging (VIFFI) flow cytometry with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) stimulation and antibody labeling. VIFFI is an optomechanical imaging method that virtually freezes the motion of fast-flowing cells on an image sensor to enable high-throughput yet sensitive imaging of every single event. 5-ALA stimulates cancer cells to induce the accumulation of protoporphyrin (PpIX), a red fluorescent substance, making it possible to detect all cancer cells even if they show no expression of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule, a typical CTC biomarker. Although PpIX signals are generally weak, VIFFI flow cytometry can detect them by virtue of its high sensitivity. As a proof-of-principle demonstration of the strategy, we applied cancer cells spiked in blood to the strategy to demonstrate image-based detection and accurate classification of single cancer cells, clusters of cancer cells, and clusters of a cancer cell(s) and a leukocyte(s). To show the clinical utility of our method, we used it to evaluate blood samples of four breast cancer patients and four healthy donors and identified EpCAM-positive PpIX-positive cells in one of the patient samples. Our work paves the way toward the determination of cancer prognosis, the guidance and monitoring of treatment, and the design of antitumor strategies for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Matsumura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Larina Tzu-Wei Shen
- Clinical Research and Regional Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
| | - Akihiro Isozaki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Hideharu Mikami
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Dan Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Taichi Miura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Yuto Kondo
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Tomoko Mori
- Clinical Research and Regional Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
| | - Yoshika Kusumoto
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masako Nishikawa
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yasumoto
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Aya Ueda
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, University of Tsukuba Hospital, 605-8576, Japan
| | - Hiroko Bando
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Hisato Hara
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Yuhong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Yunjie Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Masahiro Sonoshita
- Division of Biomedical Oncology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0815, Japan
- Global Station for Biosurfaces and Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yatomi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei 430072, China
- CYBO, Tokyo 101-0022, Japan
| | - Satoshi Matsusaka
- Clinical Research and Regional Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
- Tsukuba Clinical Research and Development Organization, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
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29
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Xia C, Bai W, Deng T, Li T, Zhang L, Lu Z, Zhang Z, Li M, He Q. Sponge-like nano-system suppresses tumor recurrence and metastasis by restraining myeloid-derived suppressor cells-mediated immunosuppression and formation of pre-metastatic niche. Acta Biomater 2023; 158:708-724. [PMID: 36638937 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Tumor recurrence and metastasis still greatly limit the therapeutic efficiency on the majority of postoperative clinical cases. With the aim to realize more powerful treatment outcomes on postoperative malignant tumors, a sponge-like neutrophil membrane-coated nano-system (NM/PPcDG/D) was fabricated to inhibit tumor recurrence and metastasis by inhibiting the recruitment and functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSCs), which reinforced anti-tumor immunity and also suppressed pulmonary metastasis by inhibiting the formation of pre-metastatic niche (PMN). Firstly, PPcDG/D nanoparticles (NPs) were formulated by the self-assembling and crosslinking of synthesized redox-responsive polymer (PPDG) with doxorubicin (DOX) loading in the nanocore (PPcDG/D), followed by coating with activated neutrophils membrane to fabricate biomimetic NM/PPcDG/D. The sponge-like NM/PPcDG/D not only showed obvious natural tropism to postoperative inflammatory site, but also inhibited the recruitment and functions of MDSCs, thus relieved MDSCs-mediated immunosuppression. Additionally, NM/PPcDG/D also suppressed the formation of PMN to inhibit pulmonary metastasis by reducing the recruitment of MDSCs, decreasing the permeability of pulmonary vessels and inhibiting the implantation of circulating tumor cell (CTCs). Eventually, this fabricated NM/PPcDG/D NPs significantly inhibited tumor recurrence and metastasis on postoperative triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) model, presenting a promising therapeutic strategy on postoperative malignant tumors. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play important roles in accelerating tumor recurrence and metastasis by promoting the establishment of immunosuppression in postoperative inflammatory regions and facilitating the formation of pulmonary pre-metastasis niche (PMN). In order to achieve enhanced suppression of recurrence and metastasis, a sponge-like NM/PPcDG/D nano-system was designed and fabricated. This nano-system is also the first attempt to integrate the regulation effects of a nano-sponge and anti-inflammatory agent to achieve enhanced multi-mode manipulation of MDSCs. Ultimately, NM/PPcDG/D powerfully restrained the recurrence and spontaneous metastasis on TNBC model. This article also revealed the particular roles of MDSCs involved in the regulation networks of postoperative recurrence and metastasis, immunosuppression and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Xia
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wenjing Bai
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Tao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, China
| | - Zhengze Lu
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhirong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Man Li
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Qin He
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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30
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Jain N, Srinivasarao DA, Famta P, Shah S, Vambhurkar G, Shahrukh S, Singh SB, Srivastava S. The portrayal of macrophages as tools and targets: A paradigm shift in cancer management. Life Sci 2023; 316:121399. [PMID: 36646378 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Macrophages play a major role in maintaining an organism's physiology, such as development, homeostasis, tissue repair, and immunity. These immune cells are known to be involved in tumor progression and modulation. Monocytes can be polarized to two types of macrophages (M1 macrophages and pro-tumor M2 macrophages). Through this article, we aim to emphasize the potential of targeting macrophages in order to improve current strategies for tumor management. Various strategies that target macrophages as a therapeutic target have been discussed along with ongoing clinical trials. We have discussed the role of macrophages in various stages of tumor progression epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, maintaining the stability of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood, and establishing a premetastatic niche along with the role of various cytokines and chemokines involved in these processes. Intriguingly macrophages can also serve as drug carriers due to their tumor tropism along the chemokine gradient. They surpass currently explored nanotherapeutics in tumor accumulation and circulation half-life. We have emphasized on macrophage-based biomimetic formulations and macrophage-hitchhiking as a strategy to effectively target tumors. We firmly believe that targeting macrophages or utilizing them as an indigenous carrier system could transform cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naitik Jain
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Dadi A Srinivasarao
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Paras Famta
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Saurabh Shah
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Ganesh Vambhurkar
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Syed Shahrukh
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Shashi Bala Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India
| | - Saurabh Srivastava
- Pharmaceutical Innovation and Translational Research Lab (PITRL), Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India.
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Tissue factor-induced fibrinogenesis mediates cancer cell clustering and multiclonal peritoneal metastasis. Cancer Lett 2023; 553:215983. [PMID: 36404569 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Peritoneal metastasis is one of the most frequent causes of death in several types of advanced cancers; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we exploited multicolor fluorescent lineage tracking to investigate the clonality of peritoneal metastasis in mouse xenograft models. When peritoneal metastasis was induced by intraperitoneal or orthotopic injection of multicolored cancer cells, each peritoneally metastasized tumor displayed multicolor fluorescence regardless of metastasis sites, indicating that it consists of multiclonal cancer cell populations. Multicolored cancer cell clusters form within the peritoneal cavity and collectively attach to the peritoneum. In vitro, peritoneal lavage fluid or cleared ascitic fluid derived from cancer patients induces cancer cell clustering, which is inhibited by anticoagulants. Cancer cell clusters formed in vitro and in vivo are associated with fibrin formation. Furthermore, tissue factor knockout in cancer cells abrogates cell clustering, peritoneal attachment, and peritoneal metastasis. Thus, we propose that cancer cells activate the coagulation cascade via tissue factor to form fibrin-mediated cell clusters and promote peritoneal attachment; these factors lead to the development of multiclonal peritoneal metastasis and may be therapeutic targets.
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Rath B, Plangger A, Klameth L, Hochmair M, Ulsperger E, Boeckx B, Neumayer C, Hamilton G. Small cell lung cancer: circulating tumor cell lines and expression of mediators of angiogenesis and coagulation. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2023; 4:355-365. [PMID: 37205313 PMCID: PMC10185438 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2023.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim Coagulation is frequently activated in cancer patients and has been correlated with an unfavorable prognosis. To evaluate whether a putative release of tissue factor (TF) by circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represents a target to impair the dissemination of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the expression of relevant proteins in a panel of permanent SCLC and SCLC CTC cell lines that have been established at the Medical University of Vienna. Methods Five CTC and SCLC lines were analyzed using a TF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests, RNA sequencing, and western blot arrays covering 55 angiogenic mediators. Furthermore, the influence of topotecan and epirubicin as well as hypoxia-like conditions on the expression of these mediators was investigated. Results The results demonstrate that the SCLC CTC cell lines express no significant amounts of active TF but thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), vascular endothelial-derived growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 in two cases. The major difference between the SCLC and SCLC CTC cell lines found was the loss of the expression of angiogenin in the blood-derived CTC lines. Topotecan and epirubicin decreased the expression of VEGF, whereas hypoxia-like conditions upregulated VEGF. Conclusions Active TF capable of triggering coagulation seems not to be expressed in SCLC CTC cell lines in significant levels and, thus, CTC-derived TF seems dispensable for dissemination. Nevertheless, all CTC lines form large spheroids, termed tumorospheres, which may become trapped in clots of the microvasculature and extravasate in this supportive microenvironment. The contribution of clotting to the protection and dissemination of CTCs in SCLC may be different from other solid tumors such as breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Rath
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Adelina Plangger
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Klameth
- Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Hochmair
- Karl Landsteiner Institute of Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Hospital Floridsdorf, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Bram Boeckx
- Laboratory for Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, University of Leuven, 3580 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christoph Neumayer
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard Hamilton
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence: Gerhard Hamilton, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Street 13A, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Cai M, He H, Hong S, Weng J. Synergistic diagnostic value of circulating tumor cells and tumor markers CEA/CA19-9 in colorectal cancer. Scand J Gastroenterol 2023; 58:54-60. [PMID: 35968572 DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2022.2106152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulation tumor cells (CTCs) play a crucial role in cancer spread and have a strong correlation with cancer progression. Previous works of research have shown that the number of CTCs can be used to predict the recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS In this study, we used the Cyttel method to isolate and detect CTCs, and analyzed their correlation with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels. RESULTS We found that the amount and positive (CTC number ≥2 in 3.2 mL peripheral blood) rate of CTCs were higher in peripheral blood (PB) of patients in stage III/IV than that of patients in stage I/II, suggesting the number of CTCs in CRC patients may have a higher correlation with metastasis. Furthermore, the number of CTCs was correlated to CEA and CA19-9 levels in individuals with all stages of CRC, and all of them predicted a worse prognosis and higher recurrence rate. Notably, triple positive (CTCs ≥ 2, CEA ≥ 5 ng/mL, CA19-9 ≥ 37 U/mL in PB) leads to the worst outcome indicated by overall survival and recurrence rate. CONCLUSION Taken together, this study first revealed that a triple combination of CTCs, which were detected by the Cyttel method but not other approaches, CEA and CA19-9 is a promising prognostic marker on the recurrence of colorectal cancer and overall survival in clinic practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Cai
- Department of General Surgery, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Huiduan He
- Department of Pathology, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Shaojun Hong
- Department of Pathology, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Jianming Weng
- Department of Pathology, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
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Wei Y, Yang W, Huang Q, Chen Y, Zeng K, Chen J, Chen J. Clinical significance of circulating tumor cell (CTC)-specific microRNA (miRNA) in breast cancer. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 177:229-234. [PMID: 36574883 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
As a noninvasive method, circulating tumor cell (CTC) provides ideal liquid biopsy specimens for early cancer screening and diagnosis. CTCs detection in breast cancer is correlated with patient prognosis such as disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Besides, accumulating evidence supported that CTCs count may be indicator for chemotherapy response as well. The functional roles of microRNA (miRNA) in breast cancer have been well-recognized for the last few years. Due to its stability in circulation, numerous studies have proven that circulating miRNA may serve as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer. The potential ability of miRNAs in disease screening, staging or even molecular subtype classification makes them valuable tools for early breast cancer patients. It would be of great significance to characterize the miRNA expression profile in CTCs, which could provide reliable biological information originated from tumor. However, some issues need to be addressed before the utility of CTC-specific miRNAs in clinical setting. Taken together, we believe that CTC-specific miRNA detection will be trend for early breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment monitor in near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghui Wei
- Department of Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Weiqin Yang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Qingnan Huang
- Department of Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Kai Zeng
- Department of Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Juan Chen
- Department of Medicine & Rehabilitation, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jiawei Chen
- Department of Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Hong Kong, China.
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Kondapaneni RV, Shevde LA, Rao SS. A Biomimetic Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Models Mass Dormancy in Brain Metastatic Breast Cancer Spheroids. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200114. [PMID: 36354182 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 90% of breast cancer related mortalities are due to metastasis to distant organs. At the metastatic sites, cancer cells are capable of evading death by exhibiting cellular or mass dormancy. However, the mechanisms involved in attaining dormancy at the metastatic site are not well understood. This is partly due to the lack of experimental models to study metastatic site-specific interactions, particularly in the context of brain metastatic breast cancer (BMBC). Herein, an in vitro hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel-based model is developed to study mass dormancy in BMBC. HA hydrogels with a stiffness of ≈0.4 kPa are utilized to mimic the brain extracellular matrix. MDA-MB-231Br or BT474Br3 BMBC spheroids are prepared and cultured on top of HA hydrogels or in suspension for 7 days. HA hydrogel induced a near mass dormant state in spheroids by achieving a balance between proliferating and dead cells. In contrast, these spheroids displayed growth in suspension cultures. The ratio of %p-ERK to %p-p38 positive cells is significantly lower in HA hydrogels compared to suspension cultures. Further, it is demonstrated that hydrogel induced mass dormant state is reversible. Overall, such models provide useful tools to study dormancy in BMBC and could be employed for drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Vamsi Kondapaneni
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | - Lalita A Shevde
- Department of Pathology, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Shreyas S Rao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
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36
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Pang S, Xu S, Wang L, Wu H, Chu Y, Ma X, Li Y, Zou B, Wang S, Zhou G. Molecular profiles of single circulating tumor cells from early breast cancer patients with different lymph node statuses. Thorac Cancer 2022; 14:156-167. [PMID: 36408679 PMCID: PMC9834698 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterization of early breast cancer circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may provide valuable information on tumor metastasis. METHODS We used immunomagnetic nanospheres to capture CTCs from the peripheral blood of eight early breast cancer patients and then performed single-cell RNA sequencing using our proposed bead-dd-seq method. RESULTS CTCs displayed obvious tumor cell characteristics, such as the activation of oxidative stress, proliferation, and promotion of metastasis. CTCs were clustered into two subtypes significantly correlated with the lymph node metastasis status of patients. CTCs in subtype 1 showed a strong metastatic ability because these CTCs have the phenotype of partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enriched transcripts, indicating breast cancer responsiveness and proliferation. Furthermore, DNA damage repair pathways were significantly upregulated in subtype 1. We performed in vitro and in vivo investigations, and found that cellular oxidative stress and further DNA damage existed in CTCs. The activated DNA damage repair pathway in CTCs favors resistance to cisplatin. A checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor sensitized CTCs to cisplatin in mouse models of breast cancer metastasis. CONCLUSION The present study dissects the molecular characteristics of CTCs from early-stage breast cancer, providing novel insight into the understanding of CTC behavior in breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyun Pang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jinling Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Shu Xu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Clinical PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Jinling HospitalMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Haiping Wu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jinling Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina,School of Pharmaceutical ScienceSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Yanan Chu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jinling Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xueping Ma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jinling Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yujiao Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jinling Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Bingjie Zou
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, Ministry of Education, School of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Shaohua Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Jinling HospitalMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Guohua Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jinling Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina,School of Pharmaceutical ScienceSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina,School of PharmacyNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
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Fridrichova I, Kalinkova L, Ciernikova S. Clinical Relevancy of Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer: Epithelial or Mesenchymal Characteristics, Single Cells or Clusters? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12141. [PMID: 36292996 PMCID: PMC9603393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is typically an incurable disease with high mortality rates; thus, early identification of metastatic features and disease recurrence through precise biomarkers is crucial. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) consisting of heterogeneous subpopulations with different morphology and genetic, epigenetic, and gene expression profiles represent promising candidate biomarkers for metastatic potential. The experimentally verified role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cancer dissemination has not been clearly described in BC patients, but the stemness features of CTCs strongly contributes to metastatic potency. Single CTCs have been shown to be protected in the bloodstream against recognition by the immune system through impaired interactions with T lymphocytes and NK cells, while associations of heterotypic CTC clusters with platelets, leucocytes, neutrophils, tumor-associated macrophages, and fibroblasts improve their tumorigenic behavior. In addition to single CTC and CTC cluster characteristics, we reviewed CTC evaluation methods and clinical studies in early and metastatic BCs. The variable CTC tests were developed based on specific principles and strategies. However, CTC count and the presence of CTC clusters were shown to be most clinically relevant in existing clinical trials. Despite the known progress in CTC research and sampling of BC patients, implementation of CTCs and CTC clusters in routine diagnostic and treatment strategies still requires improvement in detection sensitivity and precise molecular characterizations, focused predominantly on the role of CTC clusters for their higher metastatic potency.
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38
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Namli I, Seyedmirzaei Sarraf S, Sheibani Aghdam A, Celebi Torabfam G, Kutlu O, Cetinel S, Ghorbani M, Koşar A. Hydrodynamic Cavitation on a Chip: A Tool to Detect Circulating Tumor Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:40688-40697. [PMID: 36048001 PMCID: PMC9478945 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are essential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. Although various devices have been designed to detect, enumerate, and isolate CTCs from blood, some of these devices could have some drawbacks, such as the requirement of labeling, long process time, and high cost. Here, we present a microfluidic device based on the concept of "hydrodynamic cavitation-on-chip (HCOC)", which can detect CTCs in the order of minutes. The working principle relies on the difference of the required inlet pressure for cavitation inception of working fluids when they pass through the microfluidic device. The interface among the solid/floating particles, liquid, and vapor phases plays an important role in the strength of the fluid to withstand the rupture and cavitation formation. To this end, four experimental groups, including the "cell culture medium", "medium + Jurkat cells", "medium + Jurkat cells + CTCs", and "medium + CTCs", were tested as a proof of concept with two sets of fabricated microfluidic chips with the same geometrical dimensions, in which one set contained structural sidewall roughness elements. Jurkat cells were used to mimic white blood cells, and MDA-MB-231 cells were spiked into the medium as CTCs. Accordingly, the group with CTCs led to detectable earlier cavitation inception. Additionally, the effect of the CTC concentration on cavitation inception and the effect of the presence of sidewall roughness elements on the earlier inception were evaluated. Furthermore, CTC detection tests were performed with cancer cell lines spiked in blood samples from healthy donors. The results showed that this approach, HCOC, could be a potential approach to detect the presence of CTCs based on cavitation phenomenon and offer a cheap, user-friendly, and rapid tool with no requirement for any biomarker or extensive films acting as a biosensor. This approach also possesses straightforward application procedures to be employed for detection of CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilayda Namli
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Seyedali Seyedmirzaei Sarraf
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Araz Sheibani Aghdam
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gizem Celebi Torabfam
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Kutlu
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center of
Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano-Diagnostics
(EFSUN), Sabanci University, Orhanli, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sibel Cetinel
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center of
Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano-Diagnostics
(EFSUN), Sabanci University, Orhanli, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Morteza Ghorbani
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center of
Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano-Diagnostics
(EFSUN), Sabanci University, Orhanli, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ali Koşar
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Sabanci
University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center of
Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano-Diagnostics
(EFSUN), Sabanci University, Orhanli, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
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Pace J, Ivich F, Marple E, Niedre M. Near-infrared diffuse in vivo flow cytometry. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2022; 27:JBO-220101GR. [PMID: 36114606 PMCID: PMC9478904 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.27.9.097002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Significance Diffuse in vivo flow cytometry (DiFC) is an emerging technique for enumerating rare fluorescently labeled circulating cells noninvasively in the bloodstream. Thus far, we have reported red and blue-green versions of DiFC. Use of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent light would in principle allow use of DiFC in deeper tissues and would be compatible with emerging NIR fluorescence molecular contrast agents. Aim We describe the design of a NIR-DiFC instrument and demonstrate its use in optical flow phantoms in vitro and in mice in vivo. Approach We developed an improved optical fiber probe design for efficient collection of fluorescence from individual circulating cells and efficient rejection of instrument autofluorescence. We built a NIR-DiFC instrument. We tested this with NIR fluorescent microspheres and cell lines labeled with OTL38 fluorescence contrast agent in a flow phantom model. We also tested NIR-DiFC in nude mice injected intravenously with OTL38-labeled L1210A cells. Results NIR-DiFC allowed detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in flow phantoms with mean signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of 19 to 32 dB. In mice, fluorescently labeled CTCs were detectable with mean SNR of 26 dB. NIR-DiFC also exhibited orders significantly lower autofluorescence and false-alarm rates than blue-green DiFC. Conclusions NIR-DiFC allows use of emerging NIR contrast agents. Our work could pave the way for future use of NIR-DiFC in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Pace
- Northeastern University, Department of Bioengineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Fernando Ivich
- Northeastern University, Department of Bioengineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Eric Marple
- EmVision LLC, Loxahatchee, Florida, United States
| | - Mark Niedre
- Northeastern University, Department of Bioengineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Macaraniag C, Luan Q, Zhou J, Papautsky I. Microfluidic techniques for isolation, formation, and characterization of circulating tumor cells and clusters. APL Bioeng 2022; 6:031501. [PMID: 35856010 PMCID: PMC9288269 DOI: 10.1063/5.0093806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters that are shed from the primary tumor into the bloodstream are associated with a poor prognosis, elevated metastatic potential, higher proliferation rate, and distinct molecular features compared to single CTCs. Studying CTC clusters may give us information on the differences in the genetic profiles, somatic mutations, and epigenetic changes in circulating cells compared to the primary tumor and metastatic sites. Microfluidic systems offer the means of studying CTC clusters through the ability to efficiently isolate these rare cells from the whole blood of patients in a liquid biopsy. Microfluidics can also be used to develop in vitro models of CTC clusters and make possible their characterization and analysis. Ultimately, microfluidic systems can offer the means to gather insight on the complexities of the metastatic process, the biology of cancer, and the potential for developing novel or personalized therapies. In this review, we aim to discuss the advantages and challenges of the existing microfluidic systems for working with CTC clusters. We hope that an improved understanding of the role microfluidics can play in isolation, formation, and characterization of CTC clusters, which can lead to increased sophistication of microfluidic platforms in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Macaraniag
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Qiyue Luan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Ian Papautsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
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Cucciniello L, Gerratana L, Puglisi F. Liquid Biopsy, an Everchanging Balance between Clinical Utility and Emerging Technologies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4277. [PMID: 36077819 PMCID: PMC9454764 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, tissue biopsy still represents the mainstay for tumor diagnosis and molecular characterization [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Cucciniello
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
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Allegra A, Cancemi G, Mirabile G, Tonacci A, Musolino C, Gangemi S. Circulating Tumour Cells, Cell Free DNA and Tumour-Educated Platelets as Reliable Prognostic and Management Biomarkers for the Liquid Biopsy in Multiple Myeloma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174136. [PMID: 36077672 PMCID: PMC9454477 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Even though the presently employed biomarkers in the detection and management of multiple myeloma are demonstrating encouraging results, the mortality percentage of the malignancy is still elevated. Thus, searching for new diagnostic or prognostic markers is pivotal. Liquid biopsy allows the examination of circulating tumour DNA, cell-free DNA, extracellular RNA, and cell free proteins, which are released into the bloodstream due to the breakdown of tumour cells or exosome delivery. Liquid biopsy can now be applied in clinical practice to diagnose, and monitor multiple myeloma, probably allowing a personalized treatment of the disease. Abstract Liquid biopsy is one of the fastest emerging fields in cancer evaluation. Circulating tumour cells and tumour-originated DNA in plasma have become the new targets for their possible employ in tumour diagnosis, and liquid biopsy can define tumour burden without invasive procedures. Multiple Myeloma, one of the most frequent hematologic tumors, has been the target of therapeutic progresses in the last few years. Bone marrow aspirate is the traditional tool for diagnosis, prognosis, and genetic evaluation in multiple myeloma patients. However, this painful procedure presents a relevant drawback for regular disease examination as it requires an invasive practice. Moreover, new data demonstrated that a sole bone marrow aspirate is incapable of expressing the multifaceted multiple myeloma genetic heterogeneity. In this review, we report the emerging usefulness of the assessment of circulating tumour cells, cell-free DNA, extracellular RNA, cell-free proteins, extracellular vesicles, and tumour-educated platelets to evaluate the changing mutational profile of multiple myeloma, as early markers of disease, reliable predictors of prognosis, and as useful tools to perform less invasive monitoring in multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Allegra
- Division of Hematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Gabriella Cancemi
- Division of Hematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mirabile
- Division of Hematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandro Tonacci
- Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Caterina Musolino
- Division of Hematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Gangemi
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
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Tao J, Zhu L, Yakoub M, Reißfelder C, Loges S, Schölch S. Cell-Cell Interactions Drive Metastasis of Circulating Tumor Microemboli. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2661-2671. [PMID: 35856896 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells are the cellular mediators of distant metastasis in solid malignancies. Their metastatic potential can be augmented by clustering with other tumor cells or nonmalignant cells, forming circulating tumor microemboli (CTM). Cell-cell interactions are key regulators within CTM that convey enhanced metastatic properties, including improved cell survival, immune evasion, and effective extravasation into distant organs. However, the cellular and molecular mechanism of CTM formation, as well as the biology of interactions between tumor cells and immune cells, platelets, and stromal cells in the circulation, remains to be determined. Here, we review the current literature on cell-cell interactions in homotypic and heterotypic CTM and provide perspectives on therapeutic strategies to attenuate CTM-mediated metastasis by targeting cell-cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxin Tao
- JCCU Translational Surgical Oncology (A430), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lei Zhu
- JCCU Translational Surgical Oncology (A430), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Mina Yakoub
- JCCU Translational Surgical Oncology (A430), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christoph Reißfelder
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sonja Loges
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Division of Personalized Medical Oncology (A420), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Personalized Oncology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schölch
- JCCU Translational Surgical Oncology (A430), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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44
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Ball H, Nagrath S. Cancer cells spread aggressively during sleep. Nature 2022; 607:33-34. [PMID: 35732712 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-01639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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45
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Vanapalli SA, Clair Hur S. Preface to the Special Topic: Microfluidics, Circulating Biomarkers and Cancer. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:040401. [PMID: 35992639 PMCID: PMC9385218 DOI: 10.1063/5.0116803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Siva A Vanapalli
- Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Soojung Clair Hur
- Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218-2682, USA
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46
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Vora N, Shekhar P, Esmail M, Patra A, Georgakoudi I. Label-free flow cytometry of rare circulating tumor cell clusters in whole blood. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10721. [PMID: 35750889 PMCID: PMC9232518 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cell clusters (CTCCs) are rare cellular events found in the blood stream of metastatic tumor patients. Despite their scarcity, they represent an increased risk for metastasis. Label-free detection methods of these events remain primarily limited to in vitro microfluidic platforms. Here, we expand on the use of confocal backscatter and fluorescence flow cytometry (BSFC) for label-free detection of CTCCs in whole blood using machine learning for peak detection/classification. BSFC uses a custom-built flow cytometer with three excitation wavelengths (405 nm, 488 nm, and 633 nm) and five detectors to detect CTCCs in whole blood based on corresponding scattering and fluorescence signals. In this study, detection of CTCC-associated GFP fluorescence is used as the ground truth to assess the accuracy of endogenous back-scattered light-based CTCC detection in whole blood. Using a machine learning model for peak detection/classification, we demonstrated that the combined use of backscattered signals at the three wavelengths enable detection of ~ 93% of all CTCCs larger than two cells with a purity of > 82% and an overall accuracy of > 95%. The high level of performance established through BSFC and machine learning demonstrates the potential for label-free detection and monitoring of CTCCs in whole blood. Further developments of label-free BSFC to enhance throughput could lead to important applications in the isolation of CTCCs in whole blood with minimal disruption and ultimately their detection in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilay Vora
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Prashant Shekhar
- Department of Mathematics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA
| | - Michael Esmail
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Abani Patra
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Irene Georgakoudi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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47
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Gao F, Zhang G, Liu Y, He Y, Sheng Y, Sun X, Du Y, Yang C. Activation of CD44 signaling in leader cells induced by tumor-associated macrophages drives collective detachment in luminal breast carcinomas. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:540. [PMID: 35680853 PMCID: PMC9184589 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04986-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Collective detachment of cancer cells at the invading front could generate efficient metastatic spread. However, how cancer cell clusters shed from the leading front remains unknown. We previously reported that the dynamic expression of CD44 in breast cancers (BrCas) at collectively invading edges was associated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In this study, we first observed that the highly expressed CD44 (CD44high) cancer cell clusters were located in the BrCa circulating vessels, accompanied by CD206+ TAMs. Next, we identified that the cancer cell clusters can be converted to an invasive CD44high state which was induced by TAMs, thus giving rise to CD44-associated signaling mediated cohesive detachment. Then, we showed that disrupting CD44-signaling inhibited the TAMs triggered cohesive detaching using 3D organotypic culture and mouse models. Furthermore, our mechanistic study showed that the acquisition of CD44high state was mediated by the MDM2/p53 pathway activation which was induced by CCL8 released from TAMs. Blocking of CCL8 could inhibit the signaling cascade which decreased the CD44-mediated cohesive detachment and spread. Our findings uncover a novel mechanism underlying collective metastasis in BrCas that may be helpful to seek for potential targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Gao
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China ,grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Guoliang Zhang
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Yiqing He
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Yumeng Sheng
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Xiaodan Sun
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Yan Du
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
| | - Cuixia Yang
- grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China ,grid.412528.80000 0004 1798 5117Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233 China
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48
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Chen YI, Chang CC, Hsu MF, Jeng YM, Tien YW, Chang MC, Chang YT, Hu CM, Lee WH. Homophilic ATP1A1 binding induces activin A secretion to promote EMT of tumor cells and myofibroblast activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2945. [PMID: 35618735 PMCID: PMC9135720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30638-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells with diverse phenotypes and biological behaviors are influenced by stromal cells through secretory factors or direct cell-cell contact. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia with fibroblasts as the major cell type. In the present study, we observe enrichment of myofibroblasts in a juxta-tumoral position with tumor cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that facilitates invasion and correlates with a worse clinical prognosis in PDAC patients. Direct cell-cell contacts forming heterocellular aggregates between fibroblasts and tumor cells are detected in primary pancreatic tumors and circulating tumor microemboli (CTM). Mechanistically, ATP1A1 overexpressed in tumor cells binds to and reorganizes ATP1A1 of fibroblasts that induces calcium oscillations, NF-κB activation, and activin A secretion. Silencing ATP1A1 expression or neutralizing activin A secretion suppress tumor invasion and colonization. Taken together, these results elucidate the direct interplay between tumor cells and bound fibroblasts in PDAC progression, thereby providing potential therapeutic opportunities for inhibiting metastasis by interfering with these cell-cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ing Chen
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Chun Chang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Master Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, China Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Min-Fen Hsu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Ming Jeng
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Graduate Institute of Pathology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Tien
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chu Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Mei Hu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wen-Hwa Lee
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, USA.
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49
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Ronaldson-Bouchard K, Baldassarri I, Tavakol DN, Graney PL, Samaritano M, Cimetta E, Vunjak-Novakovic G. Engineering complexity in human tissue models of cancer. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 184:114181. [PMID: 35278521 PMCID: PMC9035134 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Major progress in the understanding and treatment of cancer have tremendously improved our knowledge of this complex disease and improved the length and quality of patients' lives. Still, major challenges remain, in particular with respect to cancer metastasis which still escapes effective treatment and remains responsible for 90% of cancer related deaths. In recent years, the advances in cancer cell biology, oncology and tissue engineering converged into the engineered human tissue models of cancer that are increasingly recapitulating many aspects of cancer progression and response to drugs, in a patient-specific context. The complexity and biological fidelity of these models, as well as the specific questions they aim to investigate, vary in a very broad range. When selecting and designing these experimental models, the fundamental question is "how simple is complex enough" to accomplish a specific goal of cancer research. Here we review the state of the art in developing and using the human tissue models in cancer research and developmental drug screening. We describe the main classes of models providing different levels of biological fidelity and complexity, discuss their advantages and limitations, and propose a framework for designing an appropriate model for a given study. We close by outlining some of the current needs, opportunities and challenges in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ilaria Baldassarri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Daniel Naveed Tavakol
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pamela L Graney
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Maria Samaritano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Elisa Cimetta
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy; Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Medicine, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA; College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, 622 West 168th Street, VC12-234, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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50
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Biswas K, Jolly MK, Ghosh A. Mean residence times of TF-TF and TF-miRNA toggle switches. J Biosci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-022-00261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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