1
|
Obermayr E, Mohr T, Schuster E, Braicu EI, Taube E, Sehouli J, Vergote I, Pujade-Lauraine E, Ray-Coquard I, Harter P, Wimberger P, Joly-Lobbedez F, Mahner S, Moll UM, Concin N, Zeillinger R. Gene expression markers in peripheral blood and outcome in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: A study of the European GANNET53 consortium. Int J Cancer 2024; 155:1128-1138. [PMID: 38676430 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34978] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Disease progression is a major problem in ovarian cancer. There are very few treatment options for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), and therefore, these patients have a particularly poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to identify markers for monitoring the response of 123 PROC patients enrolled in the Phase I/II GANNET53 clinical trial, which evaluated the efficacy of Ganetespib in combination with standard chemotherapy versus standard chemotherapy alone. In total, 474 blood samples were collected, comprising baseline samples taken before the first administration of the study drugs and serial samples taken during treatment until further disease progression (PD). After microfluidic enrichment, 27 gene transcripts were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and their utility for disease monitoring was evaluated. At baseline, ERCC1 was associated with an increased risk of PD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-2.55; p = 0.005), while baseline CDH1 and ESR1 may have a risk-reducing effect (CDH1 HR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46-0.96; p = 0.024; ESR1 HR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39-0.86; p = 0.002). ERCC1 was observed significantly more often (72.7% vs. 53.9%; p = 0.032) and ESR1 significantly less frequently (59.1% vs. 78.3%; p = 0.018) in blood samples taken at radiologically confirmed PD than at controlled disease. At any time during treatment, ERCC1-presence and ESR1-absence were associated with short PFS and with higher odds of PD within 6 months (odds ratio 12.77, 95% CI: 4.08-39.97; p < 0.001). Our study demonstrates the clinical relevance of ESR1 and ERCC1 and may encourage the analysis of liquid biopsy samples for the management of PROC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Obermayr
- Molecular Oncology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Mohr
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Schuster
- Molecular Oncology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Ioana Braicu
- Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Campus 3 Virchow Klinikum, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eliane Taube
- Institute of Pathology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jalid Sehouli
- Department of Gynecology, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Campus 3 Virchow Klinikum, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ignace Vergote
- Division of Gynecological Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leuven Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Isabelle Ray-Coquard
- Centre Anticancereux Léon Bérard, University Claude Bernard Lyon, GINECO Group, Lyon, France
| | - Philipp Harter
- Department of Gyneacologic Oncology, Kliniken Essen Mitte, Evang. Huyssens-Stiftung/Knappschaft GmbH, Essen, Germany
| | - Pauline Wimberger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC), Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Sven Mahner
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, AGO, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ute Martha Moll
- Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicole Concin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Robert Zeillinger
- Molecular Oncology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tsuji T, Matsuda S, Sato Y, Tanaka K, Sasaki K, Watanabe M, Hamai Y, Nasu M, Saze Z, Nakashima Y, Nomura M, Yamamoto S, Booka E, Ishiyama K, Bamba T, Sakanaka K, Tsushima T, Takeuchi H, Kato K, Kawakubo H. Safety and Efficacy of Conversion Therapy After Systemic Chemotherapy in Advanced Esophageal Cancer with Distant Metastases: A Multicenter Retrospective Observational Study. Ann Surg Oncol 2024:10.1245/s10434-024-16196-7. [PMID: 39266786 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-024-16196-7] [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] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with distant metastasis were treated with systemic chemotherapy. Recent advances in multimodal treatments have made conversion therapy a viable option for patients with incurable ESCC. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of conversion therapy for ESCC with distant metastases. METHODS Conversion therapy was defined as surgery or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) used to cure tumors that were previously considered incurable because of distant metastasis. We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent ESCC conversion therapy and assessed the treatment outcomes, including adverse events and survival rates. RESULTS A total of 147 patients from 22 institutions were included. Systemic chemotherapy was initially administered to all patients. The most common M1 factor was the para-aortic lymph node, accounting for 55% of cases. Following the initial treatment, 116 patients underwent surgery, with 31 receiving CRT as conversion therapy. Postoperative complications in surgery patients included pneumonia (16%), anastomotic leakage (7%), and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (6%). During CRT, 18% of patients developed grade 3 or higher non-hematological toxicities. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 31.7%. Pathological responders had significantly longer OS than non-responders (hazard ratio 0.493, p = 0.012). The distribution of distant metastasis, regimen type, clinical response, and conversion therapy modality did not have a significant impact on OS. CONCLUSIONS Conversion therapy can be safely performed for ESCC with distant metastasis and has a favorable prognosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Tsuji
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Japan
| | - Satoru Matsuda
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Japan.
| | - Yuta Sato
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery and Pediatric Surgery, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | - Koji Tanaka
- Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Ken Sasaki
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Masaya Watanabe
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yoichi Hamai
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Motomi Nasu
- Department of Esophageal and Gastroenterological Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital, Bunkyo, Japan
| | - Zenichiro Saze
- Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Nakashima
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Motoo Nomura
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Innovative Treatment, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shun Yamamoto
- Department of Head and Neck, Esophageal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo, Japan
| | - Eisuke Booka
- Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Koshiro Ishiyama
- Department of Esophageal Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo, Japan
| | - Takeo Bamba
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Sakanaka
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-Applied Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsushima
- Department of Gastroenterological Medicine, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Nagaizumi, Japan
| | - Hiroya Takeuchi
- Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Ken Kato
- Department of Head and Neck, Esophageal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kawakubo
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Murata Y, Nosaka T, Akazawa Y, Tanaka T, Takahashi K, Naito T, Matsuda H, Ohtani M, Nakamoto Y. Serial Changes of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2410. [PMID: 39001472 PMCID: PMC11240647 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16132410] [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: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have promising outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, there is no reliable biomarker for predicting disease progression. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) derived from peripheral blood have attracted attention in monitoring therapeutic efficacy. In this study, CTCs were serially collected from HCC patients undergoing atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo+Bev), and changes in molecular expression and CTC numbers were analyzed to identify effective biomarkers. Changes in CTC numbers during Atezo+Bev reflected the tumor volume. Targeted RNA sequencing with next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that patients with elevated transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling molecules had a poorer response, whereas those with elevated apoptosis signaling molecules had a favorable response. In addition, compared with changes in CTC counts, changes in TGF-β signaling molecule expression in CTCs accurately and promptly predicted treatment response. Overall, NGS analysis of CTC-derived RNA showed that changes in TGF-β signaling molecules predict treatment response earlier than changes in CTC counts. These findings suggest that changes in the expression of TGF-β molecules in CTCs could serve as novel biomarkers for the early prediction of therapeutic response in patients with unresectable HCC undergoing Atezo+Bev.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yasunari Nakamoto
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan; (Y.M.); (T.N.); (Y.A.); (T.T.); (K.T.); (T.N.); (H.M.); (M.O.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang YW, Gvozdenovic A, Aceto N. A Molecular Voyage: Multiomics Insights into Circulating Tumor Cells. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:920-933. [PMID: 38581442 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-24-0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a pivotal role in metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-associated death. Recent improvements of CTC isolation tools, coupled with a steady development of multiomics technologies at single-cell resolution, have enabled an extensive exploration of CTC biology, unlocking insights into their molecular profiles. A detailed molecular portrait requires CTC interrogation across various levels encompassing genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic features. Here, we review how state-of-the-art multiomics applied to CTCs are shedding light on how cancer spreads. Further, we highlight the potential implications of CTC profiling for clinical applications aimed at enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment. SIGNIFICANCE Exploring the complexity of cancer progression through cutting-edge multiomics studies holds the promise of uncovering novel aspects of cancer biology and identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities to suppress metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wei Zhang
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ana Gvozdenovic
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Aceto
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gao L, Medford A, Spring L, Bar Y, Hu B, Jimenez R, Isakoff SJ, Bardia A, Peppercorn J. Searching for the "Holy Grail" of breast cancer recurrence risk: a narrative review of the hunt for a better biomarker and the promise of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024; 205:211-226. [PMID: 38355821 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07253-6] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This paper is a narrative review of a major clinical challenge at the heart of breast cancer care: determining which patients are at risk of recurrence, which require systemic therapy, and which remain at risk in the survivorship phase of care despite initial therapy. METHODS We review the literature on prognostic and predictive biomarkers in breast cancer with a focus on detection of minimal residual disease. RESULTS While we have many tools to estimate and refine risk that are used to individualize local and systemic therapy, we know that we continue to over treat many patients and undertreat others. Many patients also experience what is, at least in hindsight, needless fear of recurrence. In this review, we frame this dilemma for the practicing breast oncologist and discuss the search for what we term the "holy grail" of breast cancer evaluation: the ideal biomarker of residual distant disease. We review the history of attempts to address this problem and the up-to-date science on biomarkers, circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). CONCLUSION This review suggests that the emerging promise of ctDNA may help resolve a crticical dilemma at the heart of breast cancer care, and improve prognostication, treatment selection, and outcomes for patients with breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Gao
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arielle Medford
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura Spring
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yael Bar
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bonnie Hu
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachel Jimenez
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven J Isakoff
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aditya Bardia
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Peppercorn
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ma Z, Zhou Z, Wang S, Ji H, Zhao D, Wang L, Chen J. Clinical significance of postoperative folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells (FR + CTCs) for long-term prognosis in patients with invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) of the lung. Thorac Cancer 2024; 15:1060-1071. [PMID: 38532562 PMCID: PMC11062873 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15288] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic value of postoperative folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cell (FR + CTC) detection in patients with stage I-III invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) treated with surgery. METHODS Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) who underwent surgical resection in Peking University Cancer Hospital and received postoperative FR + CTC analysis from July 2016 to January 2021 were retrospectively collected. Comparisons between or among groups were made using the Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney U tests. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to explore the factors predicting recurrence and survival. RESULTS There were significant differences between the high and low groups in terms of age (p = 0.002), postoperative CA199 (p = 0.038), and postoperative SCC (p = 0.024). There were no significant differences in the other indicators (all p>0.05). N stage 1, N stage 2, and neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) were independent risk factors for disease recurrence and death; pleural invasion (PI), and nerve invasion were independent risk factors for death. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed a notable trend for a worse disease-free survival (DFS) or overall survival (OS) for patients with high levels of FR + CTCs in our study, but none of these were statistically significant. CONCLUSION The detection of FR + CTCs postoperatively was an independent predictor of recurrence in patients treated for stage I-III IAC. Standardized detection methods and optimal time points for assessment should be established in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zeming Ma
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Shijie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Ji
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Dachuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mishra A, Huang SB, Dubash T, Burr R, Edd JF, Wittner BS, Cunneely QE, Putaturo VR, Deshpande A, Antmen E, Gopinathan KA, Otani K, Miyazawa Y, Kwak JE, Guay SY, Kelly J, Walsh J, Nieman L, Galler I, Chan P, Lawrence MS, Sullivan RJ, Bardia A, Micalizzi DS, Sequist LV, Lee RJ, Franses JW, Ting DT, Brunker PAR, Maheswaran S, Miyamoto DT, Haber DA, Toner M. Tumor cell-based liquid biopsy using high-throughput microfluidic enrichment of entire leukapheresis product. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.13.583573. [PMID: 38559183 PMCID: PMC10980012 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.13.583573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), interrogated by sampling blood from patients with cancer, contain multiple analytes, including intact RNA, high molecular weight DNA, proteins, and metabolic markers. However, the clinical utility of tumor cell-based liquid biopsy has been limited since CTCs are very rare, and current technologies cannot process the blood volumes required to isolate a sufficient number of tumor cells for in-depth assays. We previously described a high-throughput microfluidic prototype utilizing high-flow channels and amplification of cell sorting forces through magnetic lenses. Here, we apply this technology to analyze patient-derived leukapheresis products, interrogating a mean blood volume of 5.83 liters from patients with metastatic cancer, with a median of 2,799 CTCs purified per patient. Isolation of many CTCs from individual patients enables characterization of their morphological and molecular heterogeneity, including cell and nuclear size and RNA expression. It also allows robust detection of gene copy number variation, a definitive cancer marker with potential diagnostic applications. High-volume microfluidic enrichment of CTCs constitutes a new dimension in liquid biopsies.
Collapse
|
8
|
Sinha S, Farfel A, Luker KE, Parker BA, Yeung KT, Luker GD, Ghosh P. Growth signaling autonomy in circulating tumor cells aids metastatic seeding. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae014. [PMID: 38312224 PMCID: PMC10833458 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Self-sufficiency (autonomy) in growth signaling, the earliest recognized hallmark of cancer, is fueled by the tumor cell's ability to "secrete-and-sense" growth factors (GFs); this translates into cell survival and proliferation that is self-sustained by autocrine/paracrine secretion. A Golgi-localized circuitry comprised of two GTPase switches has recently been implicated in the orchestration of growth signaling autonomy. Using breast cancer cells that are either endowed or impaired (by gene editing) in their ability to assemble the circuitry for growth signaling autonomy, here we define the transcriptome, proteome, and phenome of such an autonomous state, and unravel its role during cancer progression. We show that autonomy is associated with enhanced molecular programs for stemness, proliferation, and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Autonomy is both necessary and sufficient for anchorage-independent GF-restricted proliferation and resistance to anticancer drugs and is required for metastatic progression. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies show that autonomy is associated, with a surprising degree of specificity, with self-sustained epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/ErbB signaling. Derivation of a gene expression signature for autonomy revealed that growth signaling autonomy is uniquely induced in circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the harshest phase in the life of tumor cells when it is deprived of biologically available epidermal growth factor (EGF). We also show that autonomy in CTCs tracks therapeutic response and prognosticates outcome. These data support a role for growth signaling autonomy in multiple processes essential for the blood-borne dissemination of human breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saptarshi Sinha
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alex Farfel
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Kathryn E Luker
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Barbara A Parker
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kay T Yeung
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gary D Luker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
- Center for Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Pradipta Ghosh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Batool SM, Yekula A, Khanna P, Hsia T, Gamblin AS, Ekanayake E, Escobedo AK, You DG, Castro CM, Im H, Kilic T, Garlin MA, Skog J, Dinulescu DM, Dudley J, Agrawal N, Cheng J, Abtin F, Aberle DR, Chia D, Elashoff D, Grognan T, Krysan K, Oh SS, Strom C, Tu M, Wei F, Xian RR, Skates SJ, Zhang DY, Trinh T, Watson M, Aft R, Rawal S, Agarwal A, Kesmodel SB, Yang C, Shen C, Hochberg FH, Wong DTW, Patel AA, Papadopoulos N, Bettegowda C, Cote RJ, Srivastava S, Lee H, Carter BS, Balaj L. The Liquid Biopsy Consortium: Challenges and opportunities for early cancer detection and monitoring. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101198. [PMID: 37716353 PMCID: PMC10591039 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
The emerging field of liquid biopsy stands at the forefront of novel diagnostic strategies for cancer and other diseases. Liquid biopsy allows minimally invasive molecular characterization of cancers for diagnosis, patient stratification to therapy, and longitudinal monitoring. Liquid biopsy strategies include detection and monitoring of circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, and extracellular vesicles. In this review, we address the current understanding and the role of existing liquid-biopsy-based modalities in cancer diagnostics and monitoring. We specifically focus on the technical and clinical challenges associated with liquid biopsy and biomarker development being addressed by the Liquid Biopsy Consortium, established through the National Cancer Institute. The Liquid Biopsy Consortium has developed new methods/assays and validated existing methods/technologies to capture and characterize tumor-derived circulating cargo, as well as addressed existing challenges and provided recommendations for advancing biomarker assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anudeep Yekula
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prerna Khanna
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tiffaney Hsia
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Austin S Gamblin
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emil Ekanayake
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ana K Escobedo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dong Gil You
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cesar M Castro
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hyungsoon Im
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tugba Kilic
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Johan Skog
- Exosome Diagnostics Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan Dudley
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Jordan Cheng
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - David Chia
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David Elashoff
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Scott S Oh
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Charles Strom
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Tu
- Liquid Diagnostics LLC., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fang Wei
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rena R Xian
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Steven J Skates
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Thi Trinh
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mark Watson
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca Aft
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Siddarth Rawal
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Circulogix Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Cheng Shen
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - David T W Wong
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Richard J Cote
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Circulogix Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sudhir Srivastava
- Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hakho Lee
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bob S Carter
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leonora Balaj
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Orrapin S, Thongkumkoon P, Udomruk S, Moonmuang S, Sutthitthasakul S, Yongpitakwattana P, Pruksakorn D, Chaiyawat P. Deciphering the Biology of Circulating Tumor Cells through Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: Implications for Precision Medicine in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12337. [PMID: 37569711 PMCID: PMC10418766 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hold unique biological characteristics that directly involve them in hematogenous dissemination. Studying CTCs systematically is technically challenging due to their extreme rarity and heterogeneity and the lack of specific markers to specify metastasis-initiating CTCs. With cutting-edge technology, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides insights into the biology of metastatic processes driven by CTCs. Transcriptomics analysis of single CTCs can decipher tumor heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity for exploring promising novel therapeutic targets. The integrated approach provides a perspective on the mechanisms underlying tumor development and interrogates CTCs interactions with other blood cell types, particularly those of the immune system. This review aims to comprehensively describe the current study on CTC transcriptomic analysis through scRNA-seq technology. We emphasize the workflow for scRNA-seq analysis of CTCs, including enrichment, single cell isolation, and bioinformatic tools applied for this purpose. Furthermore, we elucidated the translational knowledge from the transcriptomic profile of individual CTCs and the biology of cancer metastasis for developing effective therapeutics through targeting key pathways in CTCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santhasiri Orrapin
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Patcharawadee Thongkumkoon
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Sasimol Udomruk
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
- Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research (MSTR) Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Sutpirat Moonmuang
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Songphon Sutthitthasakul
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Petlada Yongpitakwattana
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
| | - Dumnoensun Pruksakorn
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
- Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research (MSTR) Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Parunya Chaiyawat
- Center of Multidisciplinary Technology for Advanced Medicine (CMUTEAM), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (S.O.); (P.T.); (S.U.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (P.Y.); (D.P.)
- Musculoskeletal Science and Translational Research (MSTR) Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Farhang Ghahremani M, Seto KKY, Cho W, Miller MC, Smith P, Englert DF. Novel method for highly multiplexed gene expression profiling of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) captured from the blood of women with metastatic breast cancer. J Transl Med 2023; 21:414. [PMID: 37365600 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04242-z] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has proven clinical significance for monitoring patients with metastatic cancers. Multiplexed gene expression profiling of CTCs is a potential tool for assessing disease status and monitoring treatment response. The Parsortix® technology enables the capture and harvest of CTCs from blood based on cell size and deformability. The HyCEAD™ (Hybrid Capture Enrichment Amplification and Detection) assay enables simultaneous amplification of short amplicons for up to 100 mRNA targets, and the Ziplex™ instrument quantifies the amplicons for highly sensitive gene expression profiling down to single cell levels. The aim of the study was to functionally assess this system. METHODS The HyCEAD/Ziplex platform was used to quantify the expression levels for 72 genes using as little as 20 pg of total RNA or a single cultured tumor cell. Assay performance was evaluated using cells or total RNA spiked into Parsortix harvests of healthy donor blood. The assay was also evaluated using total RNA obtained from Parsortix harvests of blood from metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients or healthy volunteers (HVs). RESULTS Using genes with low expression in WBC RNA and/or in unspiked Parsortix harvests from HVs, the assay distinguished between the different breast cancer and ovarian cancer cell lines with as little as 20 pg of total RNA (equivalent to a single cell) in the presence of 1 ng of WBC RNA. Single cultured cells spiked into Parsortix harvests from 10 mL of HV blood were also detected and distinguished from each other. CVs from repeatability experiments were less than 20%. Hierarchical clustering of clinical samples differentiated most MBC patients from HVs. CONCLUSION HyCEAD/Ziplex provided sensitive quantification of expression of 72 genes from 20 pg of total RNA from cultured tumor cell lines or from single cultured tumor cells spiked into lysates from Parsortix harvests of HV blood. The HyCEAD/Ziplex platform enables the quantification of selected genes in the presence of residual nucleated blood cells in Parsortix harvests. The HyCEAD/Ziplex platform is an effective tool for multiplexed molecular characterization of mRNA in small numbers of tumor cells harvested from blood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michael Craig Miller
- Clinical Development, ANGLE North America, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paul Smith
- ANGLE Biosciences Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Javed AA, Ding D, Hasanain A, van Oosten F, Yu J, Cameron JL, Burkhart RA, Zheng L, He J, Wolfgang CL. Persistent Circulating Tumor Cells at 1 Year After Oncologic Resection Predict Late Recurrence in Pancreatic Cancer. Ann Surg 2023; 277:859-865. [PMID: 36111892 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to assess the association between persistent circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and subsequent recurrence in patients who were clinically recurrence free ~12 months postoperatively. BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cells have been proposed as biomarkers to predict survival in pancreatic cancer. Some patients demonstrate persistent CTCs postoperatively, which could represent minimal residual disease. METHODS Patients from previously published prospective circulating tumor cell in pancreatic cancer trial without clinical evidence of recurrence 12 months postoperatively and CTC testing performed 9 to 15 months postoperatively were included. The presence of epithelial and transitional CTCs (trCTCs) was evaluated as predictor of recurrence. Kaplan-Meier curve, log-rank test, and Cox model were used for survival analysis. RESULTS Thirty-three of 129 eligible patients (circulating tumor cell in pancreatic cancer trial) were included. The trCTC-positive and negative patients were well balanced in clinicopathologic features. Patients with trCTCs had a recurrence rate per-person-month of 10.3% compared with 3.1% in trCTCs-negative patients with a median time to recurrence of 3.9 versus 27.1 months, respectively. On multivariable analysis, trCTCs positivity was associated with higher risk of late recurrence (hazard ratio: 4.7, 95% CI, 1.2-18.3, P =0.024). Fourteen (42.4%) patients recurred during the second postoperative year. One-year postoperative trCTCs positivity was associated with a higher rate of recurrence during the second year (odds ratio:13.1, 95% CI, 1.6-1953.4, P =0.028, area under curve=0.72). Integrating clinicopathologic features with trCTCs increased the area under curve to 0.80. A majority of trCTCs-positive patients (N=5, 62.5%) had multisite recurrence, followed by local-only (N=2, 25.0%) and liver-only (N=1, 12.5%) recurrence. This was in striking contrast to trCTCs-negative patients, where a majority (N=6, 66.7%) had a local-only recurrence, followed by liver-only (N=2, 22.2%) and multisite (N=1, 11.1%) recurrence. CONCLUSIONS In patients deemed to be clinically disease-free 12 months postoperatively, trCTCs positivity is associated with higher rates of subsequent recurrence with distinct patterns of recurrence. CTCs could be used a putative biomarker to guide patient prognostication and management in pancreatic cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ammar A Javed
- Department of Surgery, New York University Langone Hospital, New York City, NY
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ding Ding
- Department of Surgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Alina Hasanain
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Floortje van Oosten
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Surgery, Regional Academic Cancer Center Utrecht, UMC Utrecht Cancer Center & St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Jun Yu
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - John L Cameron
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Richard A Burkhart
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Lei Zheng
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jin He
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Strati A, Markou A, Kyriakopoulou E, Lianidou E. Detection and Molecular Characterization of Circulating Tumour Cells: Challenges for the Clinical Setting. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072185. [PMID: 37046848 PMCID: PMC10092977 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072185] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, liquid biopsy has gained much attention as a powerful tool in personalized medicine since it enables monitoring cancer evolution and follow-up of cancer patients in real time. Through minimally invasive procedures, liquid biopsy provides important information through the analysis of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour-derived material, such as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), circulating miRNAs (cfmiRNAs) and extracellular vehicles (EVs). CTC analysis has already had an important impact on the prognosis, detection of minimal residual disease (MRD), treatment selection and monitoring of cancer patients. Numerous clinical trials nowadays include a liquid biopsy arm. CTC analysis is now an exponentially expanding field in almost all types of solid cancers. Functional studies, mainly based on CTC-derived cell-lines and CTC-derived explants (CDx), provide important insights into the metastatic process. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest findings on the clinical significance of CTCs for the management of cancer patients, covering the last four years. This review focuses on providing a comprehensive overview of CTC analysis in breast, prostate and non-small-cell lung cancer. The unique potential of CTC single-cell analysis for understanding metastasis biology, and the importance of quality control and standardization of methodologies used in this field, is also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Areti Strati
- Analysis of Circulating Tumour Cells Lab, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Athina Markou
- Analysis of Circulating Tumour Cells Lab, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Evi Lianidou
- Analysis of Circulating Tumour Cells Lab, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xiao J, Sharma U, Arab A, Miglani S, Bhalla S, Suguru S, Suter R, Mukherji R, Lippman ME, Pohlmann PR, Zeck JC, Marshall JL, Weinberg BA, He AR, Noel MS, Schlegel R, Goodarzi H, Agarwal S. Propagated Circulating Tumor Cells Uncover the Potential Role of NFκB, EMT, and TGFβ Signaling Pathways and COP1 in Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1831. [PMID: 36980717 PMCID: PMC10046547 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), a population of cancer cells that represent the seeds of metastatic nodules, are a promising model system for studying metastasis. However, the expansion of patient-derived CTCs ex vivo is challenging and dependent on the collection of high numbers of CTCs, which are ultra-rare. Here we report the development of a combined CTC and cultured CTC-derived xenograft (CDX) platform for expanding and studying patient-derived CTCs from metastatic colon, lung, and pancreatic cancers. The propagated CTCs yielded a highly aggressive population of cells that could be used to routinely and robustly establish primary tumors and metastatic lesions in CDXs. Differential gene analysis of the resultant CTC models emphasized a role for NF-κB, EMT, and TGFβ signaling as pan-cancer signaling pathways involved in metastasis. Furthermore, metastatic CTCs were identified through a prospective five-gene signature (BCAR1, COL1A1, IGSF3, RRAD, and TFPI2). Whole-exome sequencing of CDX models and metastases further identified mutations in constitutive photomorphogenesis protein 1 (COP1) as a potential driver of metastasis. These findings illustrate the utility of the combined patient-derived CTC model and provide a glimpse of the promise of CTCs in identifying drivers of cancer metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Xiao
- School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Department of Pathology, Center for Cell Reprogramming, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Utsav Sharma
- Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Abolfazl Arab
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sohit Miglani
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sonakshi Bhalla
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Shravanthy Suguru
- Department of Pathology, Center for Cell Reprogramming, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Robert Suter
- Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Reetu Mukherji
- Department of Medicine, The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Marc E. Lippman
- Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Paula R. Pohlmann
- Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Jay C. Zeck
- Department of Pathology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - John L. Marshall
- Department of Medicine, The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Benjamin A. Weinberg
- Department of Medicine, The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Aiwu Ruth He
- Department of Medicine, The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Marcus S. Noel
- Department of Medicine, The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Richard Schlegel
- Department of Pathology, Center for Cell Reprogramming, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Hani Goodarzi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Seema Agarwal
- Department of Pathology, Center for Cell Reprogramming, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Liquid biopsy for monitoring of tumor dormancy and early detection of disease recurrence in solid tumors. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:161-182. [PMID: 36607507 PMCID: PMC10014694 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-022-10075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the three leading causes of death worldwide. Even after successful therapy and achieving remission, the risk of relapse often remains. In this context, dormant residual cancer cells in secondary organs such as the bone marrow constitute the cellular reservoir from which late tumor recurrences arise. This dilemma leads the term of minimal residual disease, which reflects the presence of tumor cells disseminated from the primary lesion to distant organs in patients who lack any clinical or radiological signs of metastasis or residual tumor cells left behind after therapy that eventually lead to local recurrence. Disseminated tumor cells have the ability to survive in a dormant state following treatment and linger unrecognized for more than a decade before emerging as recurrent disease. They are able to breakup their dormant state and to readopt their proliferation under certain circumstances, which can finally lead to distant relapse and cancer-associated death. In recent years, extensive molecular and genetic characterization of disseminated tumor cells and blood-based biomarker has contributed significantly to our understanding of the frequency and prevalence of tumor dormancy. In this article, we describe the clinical relevance of disseminated tumor cells and highlight how latest advances in different liquid biopsy approaches can be used to detect, characterize, and monitor minimal residual disease in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma patients.
Collapse
|
16
|
Vidlarova M, Rehulkova A, Stejskal P, Prokopova A, Slavik H, Hajduch M, Srovnal J. Recent Advances in Methods for Circulating Tumor Cell Detection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3902. [PMID: 36835311 PMCID: PMC9959336 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are released from primary tumors and transported through the body via blood or lymphatic vessels before settling to form micrometastases under suitable conditions. Accordingly, several studies have identified CTCs as a negative prognostic factor for survival in many types of cancer. CTCs also reflect the current heterogeneity and genetic and biological state of tumors; so, their study can provide valuable insights into tumor progression, cell senescence, and cancer dormancy. Diverse methods with differing specificity, utility, costs, and sensitivity have been developed for isolating and characterizing CTCs. Additionally, novel techniques with the potential to overcome the limitations of existing ones are being developed. This primary literature review describes the current and emerging methods for enriching, detecting, isolating, and characterizing CTCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Vidlarova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Alona Rehulkova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Stejskal
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Prokopova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Hanus Slavik
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Marian Hajduch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Srovnal
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital in Olomouc, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Extracellular Vesicles' Genetic Cargo as Noninvasive Biomarkers in Cancer: A Pilot Study Using ExoGAG Technology. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020404. [PMID: 36830940 PMCID: PMC9953104 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The two most developed biomarkers in liquid biopsy (LB)-circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA-have been joined by the analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are lipid-bilayer enclosed structures released by all cell types containing a variety of molecules, including DNA, mRNA and miRNA. However, fast, efficient and a high degree of purity isolation technologies are necessary for their clinical routine implementation. In this work, the use of ExoGAG, a new easy-to-use EV isolation technology, was validated for the isolation of EVs from plasma and urine samples. After demonstrating its efficiency, an analysis of the genetic material contained in the EVs was carried out. Firstly, the sensitivity of the detection of point mutations in DNA from plasma EVs isolated by ExoGAG was analyzed. Then, a pilot study of mRNA expression using the nCounter NanoString platform in EV-mRNA from a healthy donor, a benign prostate hyperplasia patient and metastatic prostate cancer patient plasma and urine samples was performed, identifying the prostate cancer pathway as one of the main ones. This work provides evidence for the value of using ExoGAG for the isolation of EVs from plasma and urine samples, enabling downstream applications of the analysis of their genetic cargo.
Collapse
|
18
|
Leonaviciene G, Mazutis L. RNA cytometry of single-cells using semi-permeable microcapsules. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e2. [PMID: 36268865 PMCID: PMC9841424 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Analytical tools for gene expression profiling of individual cells are critical for studying complex biological systems. However, the techniques enabling rapid measurements of gene expression on thousands of single-cells are lacking. Here, we report a high-throughput RNA cytometry for digital profiling of single-cells isolated in liquid droplets enveloped by a thin semi-permeable membrane (microcapsules). Due to the selective permeability of the membrane, the desirable enzymes and reagents can be loaded, or replaced, in the microcapsule at any given step by simply changing the reaction buffer in which the microcapsules are dispersed. Therefore, complex molecular biology workflows can be readily adapted to conduct nucleic acid analysis on encapsulated mammalian cells, or other biological species. The microcapsules support sequential multi-step enzymatic reactions and remain intact under different biochemical conditions, freezing, thawing, and thermocycling. Combining microcapsules with conventional FACS provides a high-throughput approach for conducting RNA cytometry of individual cells based on their digital gene expression signature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Greta Leonaviciene
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, 7 Sauletekio av., Vilnius, LT-10257, Lithuania
| | - Linas Mazutis
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, 7 Sauletekio av., Vilnius, LT-10257, Lithuania
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Signatures of Breast Cancer Progression in the Blood: What Could Be Learned from Circulating Tumor Cell Transcriptomes. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225668. [PMID: 36428760 PMCID: PMC9688726 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression profiling has revolutionized our understanding of cancer biology, showing an unprecedented ability to impact patient management especially in breast cancer. The vast majority of breast cancer gene expression signatures derive from the analysis of the tumor bulk, an experimental approach that limits the possibility to dissect breast cancer heterogeneity thoroughly and might miss the message hidden in biologically and clinically relevant cell populations. During disease progression or upon selective pressures, cancer cells undergo continuous transcriptional changes, which inevitably affect tumor heterogeneity, response to therapy and tendency to disseminate. Therefore, metastasis-associated signatures and transcriptome-wide gene expression measurement at single-cell resolution hold great promise for the future of breast cancer clinical care. Seen from this perspective, transcriptomics of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent an attractive opportunity to bridge the knowledge gap and develop novel biomarkers. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-science on CTC gene expression analysis in breast cancer, addresses technical and clinical issues related to the application of CTC-derived signatures, and discusses potential research directions.
Collapse
|
20
|
Tian Y, Zhu K, Li Y, Ren Z, Wang J. MACF1 mutations predict poor prognosis: a novel potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:7670-7688. [PMID: 36505342 PMCID: PMC9730059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1) mutations are known to play an important role in the progression of various cancers. However, its role in breast cancer remains to be determined. In this study, we investigated how MACF1 mutations may play a role in breast cancer development. METHODS The gene-expression profile data of patients with breast cancer were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-Breast cancer cohort. We estimated the influence of MACF1 mutations on patient clinical prognosis using the Kaplan-Meier method. Further, patients with MACF1-mutant (MACF1-MT) and MACF1-wild-type (MACF1-WT) were compared to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We also performed functional enrichment analyses, constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, and investigated the correlation between MACF1 mutations and immune-cell infiltration. To explore the prognostic value of MACF1 mutations, a nomogram was developed based on MACF1 mutations and other clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS Patients with MACF1-MT had a worse prognosis and higher tumor mutation burden score (P < 0.05) than patients with MACF1-WT. MACF1 mutations were demonstrated to upregulate the mTOR signaling pathway and alter energy metabolism and tumor immune microenvironment. Thus, MACF1 mutations might affect immunogenicity and result in a lower response to immunotherapy. By analyzing the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC), the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to 13 drugs was found to be significantly enhanced by MACF1 mutations. The prognostic model was verified in predicting the outcome of breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION MACF1 mutations might be a potential prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye Tian
- Department of Thyroid and Breast SurgeryWuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Kongjun Zhu
- Department of Thyroid and Breast SurgeryWuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuefei Li
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhen Ren
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan, Hubei, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Advances in the Biology, Detection Techniques, and Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor Cells. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:7149686. [PMID: 36090904 PMCID: PMC9462976 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7149686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a crucial role in tumor recurrence and metastasis, and their early detection has shown remarkable benefits in clinical theranostics. However, CTCs are extremely rare, thus detecting them in the blood is very challenging. New CTC detection techniques are continuously being developed, enabling deeper analysis of CTC biology and potential clinical application. This article reviews current CTC detection techniques and their clinical application. CTCs have provided, and will continue to provide, important insights into the process of metastasis, which could lead to development of new therapies for different cancers.
Collapse
|
22
|
Agnoletto C, Volinia S. Mitochondria dysfunction in circulating tumor cells. Front Oncol 2022; 12:947479. [PMID: 35992829 PMCID: PMC9386562 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.947479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a subset of heterogeneous cells, which, once released from a tumor site, have the potential to give rise to metastasis in secondary sites. Recent research focused on the attempt to detect and characterize these rare cells in the circulation, and advancements in defining their molecular profile have been reported in diverse tumor species, with potential implications for clinical applications. Of note, metabolic alterations, involving mitochondria, have been implicated in the metastatic process, as key determinants in the transition of tumor cells to a mesenchymal or stemness-like phenotype, in drug resistance, and in induction of apoptosis. This review aimed to briefly analyse the most recent knowledge relative to mitochondria dysfunction in CTCs, and to envision implications of altered mitochondria in CTCs for a potential utility in clinics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Agnoletto
- Rete Oncologica Veneta (ROV), Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Stefano Volinia
- Laboratorio per le Tecnologie delle Terapie Avanzate (LTTA), Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre (CNBCh UW), University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Addanki S, Meas S, Sarli VN, Singh B, Lucci A. Applications of Circulating Tumor Cells and Circulating Tumor DNA in Precision Oncology for Breast Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147843. [PMID: 35887191 PMCID: PMC9315812 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid biopsies allow for the detection of cancer biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Elevated levels of these biomarkers during cancer treatment could potentially serve as indicators of cancer progression and shed light on the mechanisms of metastasis and therapy resistance. Thus, liquid biopsies serve as tools for cancer detection and monitoring through a simple, non-invasive blood draw, allowing multiple longitudinal sampling. These circulating markers have significant prospects for use in assessing patients’ prognosis, monitoring response to therapy, and developing precision medicine. In addition, single-cell omics of these liquid biopsy markers can be potential tools for identifying tumor heterogeneity and plasticity as well as novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we focus on our current understanding of circulating tumor biomarkers, especially in breast cancer, and the scope of novel sequencing technologies and diagnostic methods for better prognostication and patient stratification to improve patient outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sridevi Addanki
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (S.M.); (V.N.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Salyna Meas
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (S.M.); (V.N.S.); (B.S.)
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vanessa Nicole Sarli
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (S.M.); (V.N.S.); (B.S.)
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Balraj Singh
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (S.M.); (V.N.S.); (B.S.)
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anthony Lucci
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (S.M.); (V.N.S.); (B.S.)
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Igari F, Tanaka H, Giuliano AE. The applications of plasma cell-free DNA in cancer detection: Implications in the management of breast cancer patients. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2022; 175:103725. [PMID: 35618229 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid biopsy probes DNA, RNA, and proteins in body fluids for cancer detection and is one of the most rapidly developing areas in oncology. Tumor-derived DNA (circulating tumor DNA, ctDNA) in the context of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in blood has been the main target for its potential utilities in cancer detection. Liquid biopsy can report tumor burden in real-time without invasive interventions, and would be feasible for screening tumor types that lack standard-of-care screening approaches. Two major approaches to interrogating ctDNA are genetic mutation and DNA methylation profiling. Mutation profiling can identify tumor driver mutations and guide precision therapy. Targeted genomic profiling of DNA methylation has become the main approach for cancer screening in the general population. Here we review the recent technological development and ongoing efforts in clinical applications. For clinical applications, we focus on breast cancer, in which subtype-specific biology demarcates the applications of ctDNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fumie Igari
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA; Department of Breast Oncology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisashi Tanaka
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA; Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA; Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA.
| | - Armando E Giuliano
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA; Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA; Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA 90048, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Edd JF, Mishra A, Smith KC, Kapur R, Maheswaran S, Haber DA, Toner M. Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells. iScience 2022; 25:104696. [PMID: 35880043 PMCID: PMC9307519 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enter the vasculature from solid tumors and disseminate widely to initiate metastases. Mining the metastatic-enriched molecular signatures of CTCs before, during, and after treatment holds unique potential in personalized oncology. Their extreme rarity, however, requires isolation from large blood volumes at high yield and purity, yet they overlap leukocytes in size and other biophysical properties. Additionally, many CTCs lack EpCAM that underlies much of affinity-based capture, complicating their separation from blood. Here, we provide a comprehensive introduction of CTC isolation technology, by analyzing key separation modes and integrated isolation strategies. Attention is focused on recent progress in microfluidics, where an accelerating evolution is occurring in high-throughput sorting of cells along multiple dimensions. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) spread cancer through the bloodstream (metastasis) CTC-based liquid biopsy enables minimally invasive sampling of cancer cells in blood Their extreme rarity requires all CTC types to be enriched from large blood volumes CTC isolation technology is analyzed, with a focus on high-throughput microfluidics
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jon F. Edd
- BioMEMS Resource Center, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Avanish Mishra
- BioMEMS Resource Center, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Ravi Kapur
- BioMEMS Resource Center, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- BendBio, Inc., Sharon, MA 02067, USA
| | - Shyamala Maheswaran
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel A. Haber
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD 20815, USA
| | - Mehmet Toner
- BioMEMS Resource Center, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Han Y, Wang D, Peng L, Huang T, He X, Wang J, Ou C. Single-cell sequencing: a promising approach for uncovering the mechanisms of tumor metastasis. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:59. [PMID: 35549970 PMCID: PMC9096771 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01280-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell sequencing (SCS) is an emerging high-throughput technology that can be used to study the genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenetics at a single cell level. SCS is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Over the years, SCS has gradually become an effective clinical tool for the exploration of tumor metastasis mechanisms and the development of treatment strategies. Currently, SCS can be used not only to analyze metastasis-related malignant biological characteristics, such as tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and microenvironment, but also to construct metastasis-related cell maps for predicting and monitoring the dynamics of metastasis. SCS is also used to identify therapeutic targets related to metastasis as it provides insights into the distribution of tumor cell subsets and gene expression differences between primary and metastatic tumors. Additionally, SCS techniques in combination with artificial intelligence (AI) are used in liquid biopsy to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs), thereby providing a novel strategy for treating tumor metastasis. In this review, we summarize the potential applications of SCS in the field of tumor metastasis and discuss the prospects and limitations of SCS to provide a theoretical basis for finding therapeutic targets and mechanisms of metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Han
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Lushan Peng
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoyun He
- Departments of Ultrasound Imaging, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Junpu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410031, Hunan, China. .,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Chunlin Ou
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wu HJ, Chu PY. Current and Developing Liquid Biopsy Techniques for Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2052. [PMID: 35565189 PMCID: PMC9105073 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer mortality among woman worldwide. The techniques of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring of breast cancer are critical. Current diagnostic techniques are mammography and tissue biopsy; however, they have limitations. With the development of novel techniques, such as personalized medicine and genetic profiling, liquid biopsy is emerging as the less invasive tool for diagnosing and monitoring breast cancer. Liquid biopsy is performed by sampling biofluids and extracting tumor components, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), cell-free mRNA (cfRNA) and microRNA (miRNA), proteins, and extracellular vehicles (EVs). In this review, we summarize and focus on the recent discoveries of tumor components and biomarkers applied in liquid biopsy and novel development of detection techniques, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and microfluidic devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Ju Wu
- Research Assistant Center, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan;
- Department of Medical Research, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Lukang Town, Changhua 505, Taiwan
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 500, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yi Chu
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242, Taiwan
- Department of Health Food, Chung Chou University of Science and Technology, Changhua 510, Taiwan
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
The potential of liquid biopsy in the management of cancer patients. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 84:69-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
29
|
Fina E, Cleris L, Dugo M, Lecchi M, Ciniselli CM, Lecis D, Bianchi GV, Verderio P, Daidone MG, Cappelletti V. Gene signatures of circulating breast cancer cell models are a source of novel molecular determinants of metastasis and improve circulating tumor cell detection in patients. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:78. [PMID: 35216615 PMCID: PMC8876758 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02259-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Progression to stage IV disease remains the main cause of breast cancer-related deaths. Increasing knowledge on the hematogenous phase of metastasis is key for exploiting the entire window of opportunity to interfere with early dissemination and to achieve a more effective disease control. Recent evidence suggests that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) possess diverse adaptive mechanisms to survive in blood and eventually metastasize, encouraging research into CTC-directed therapies. Methods On the hypothesis that the distinguishing molecular features of CTCs reveal useful information on metastasis biology and disease outcome, we compared the transcriptome of CTCs, primary tumors, lymph-node and lung metastases of the MDA-MB-231 xenograft model, and assessed the biological role of a panel of selected genes, by in vitro and in vivo functional assays, and their clinical significance in M0 and M+ breast cancer patients. Results We found that hematogenous dissemination is governed by a transcriptional program and identified a CTC signature that includes 192 up-regulated genes, mainly related to cell plasticity and adaptation, and 282 down-regulated genes, involved in chromatin remodeling and transcription. Among genes up-regulated in CTCs, FADS3 was found to increases cell membrane fluidity and promote hematogenous diffusion and lung metastasis formation. TFF3 was observed to be associated with a subset of CTCs with epithelial-like features in the experimental model and in a cohort of 44 breast cancer patients, and to play a role in cell migration, invasion and blood-borne dissemination. The analysis of clinical samples with a panel of CTC-specific genes (ADPRHL1, ELF3, FCF1, TFF1 and TFF3) considerably improved CTC detection as compared with epithelial and tumor-associated markers both in M0 and stage IV patients, and CTC kinetics informed disease relapse in the neoadjuvant setting. Conclusions Our findings provide evidence on the potential of a CTC-specific molecular profile as source of metastasis-relevant genes in breast cancer experimental models and in patients. Thanks to transcriptome analysis we generated a novel CTC signature in the MDA-MB-231 xenograft model, adding a new piece to the current knowledge on the key players that orchestrate tumor cell hematogenous dissemination and breast cancer metastasis, and expanding the list of CTC-related biomarkers for future validation studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02259-8.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Fina
- Biomarkers Unit, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy. .,Current affiliation: Humanitas Research Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy.
| | - Loredana Cleris
- Biomarkers Unit, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Dugo
- Platform of Integrated Biology, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy.,Current affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Mara Lecchi
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Maura Ciniselli
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Lecis
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Valeria Bianchi
- Medical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Verderio
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Daidone
- Biomarkers Unit, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Vera Cappelletti
- Biomarkers Unit, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pasha N, Turner NC. Understanding and overcoming tumor heterogeneity in metastatic breast cancer treatment. NATURE CANCER 2022; 2:680-692. [PMID: 35121946 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Rational development of targeted therapies has revolutionized metastatic breast cancer outcomes, although resistance to treatment remains a major challenge. Advances in molecular profiling and imaging technologies have provided evidence for the impact of clonal diversity in cancer treatment resistance, through the outgrowth of resistant clones. In this Review, we focus on the genomic processes that drive tumoral heterogeneity and the mechanisms of resistance underlying metastatic breast cancer treatment and discuss implications for future treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nida Pasha
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Nicholas C Turner
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK. .,Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research and Breast Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Chelakkot C, Yang H, Shin YK. Relevance of Circulating Tumor Cells as Predictive Markers for Cancer Incidence and Relapse. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:75. [PMID: 35056131 PMCID: PMC8781286 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Shedding of cancer cells from the primary site or undetectable bone marrow region into the circulatory system, resulting in clinically overt metastasis or dissemination, is the hallmark of unfavorable invasive cancers. The shed cells remain in circulation until they extravasate to form a secondary metastatic lesion or undergo anoikis. The circulating tumor cells (CTCs) found as single cells or clusters carry a plethora of information, are acknowledged as potential biomarkers for predicting cancer prognosis and cancer progression, and are supposed to play key roles in determining tailored therapies for advanced diseases. With the advent of novel technologies that allow the precise isolation of CTCs, more and more clinical trials are focusing on the prognostic and predictive potential of CTCs. In this review, we summarize the role of CTCs as a predictive marker for cancer incidence, relapse, and response to therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaithanya Chelakkot
- Bio-MAX/N-Bio, Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08226, Korea
- Genobio Corp., Seoul 08394, Korea
| | - Hobin Yang
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08226, Korea
| | - Young Kee Shin
- Bio-MAX/N-Bio, Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08226, Korea
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08226, Korea
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08226, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Burr R, Edd JF, Chirn B, Mishra A, Haber DA, Toner M, Maheswaran S. Negative-Selection Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells from Peripheral Blood Using the Microfluidic CTC-iChip. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2471:309-321. [PMID: 35175606 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2193-6_18] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The ability to isolate and analyze rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) holds the potential to increase our understanding of cancer evolution and allows monitoring of disease and therapeutic responses through a relatively non-invasive blood-based biopsy. While many methods have been described to isolate CTCs from the blood, the vast majority rely on size-based sorting or positive selection of CTCs based on surface markers, which introduces bias into the downstream product by making assumptions about these heterogenous cells. Here we describe a negative-selection protocol for enrichment of CTCs through removal of blood components including red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. This procedure results in a product that is amenable to downstream single-cell analytics including RNA-Seq, ATAC-Seq and DNA methylation, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) for tumor specific transcripts, staining and extensive image analysis, and ex vivo culture of patient-derived CTCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Risa Burr
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Jon F Edd
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian Chirn
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Avanish Mishra
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel A Haber
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mehmet Toner
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shyamala Maheswaran
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Žvirblytė J, Mažutis L. Microfluidics for Cancer Biomarker Discovery, Research, and Clinical Application. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1379:499-524. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-04039-9_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
34
|
Matsuda S, Kawakubo H, Tsuji T, Aoyama J, Hirata Y, Takemura R, Mayanagi S, Irino T, Fukuda K, Nakamura R, Takeuchi H, Kitagawa Y. Clinical Significance of Endoscopic Response Evaluation to Predict the Distribution of Residual Tumor after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2021; 29:2673-2680. [PMID: 34812985 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-021-11009-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To appropriately adopt the organ preservation approach, including subsequent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients who respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), the distribution of residual disease, including pathological lymph nodes (LNs) and recurrence site, needs to be recognized preoperatively. This study was designed to evaluate whether endoscopic response evaluation can predict residual tumor distribution. METHODS Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) were retrospectively reviewed. Endoscopic responder (ER) to NAC was defined according to primary tumor endoscopic findings. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and residual tumor patterns were compared between groups. RESULTS Of 193 patients, 40 (20%) were classified as ER. ERs showed significantly better RFS and OS. The pN location was found within the primary tumor and cN field in 88% of ERs, which was significantly higher than non-ERs at 63% (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the postoperative recurrence incidence in the distant organ was significantly lower in the ERs than the non-ERs (8%, 32%, respectively, p = 0.002). Residual disease, including postoperative initial recurrence, existed within the same field as the primary tumor and cN in 88% of ERs, significantly higher than 42% in the non-ERs (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic response evaluation can preoperatively predict distribution of residual tumors after NAC, which could help radiation field selection in subsequent definitive CRT when patients prefer to omit TTE. Along with improvements in NAC response rate, this could facilitate organ preservation in patients who respond to NAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Matsuda
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kawakubo
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Takayuki Tsuji
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junya Aoyama
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Hirata
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Takemura
- Biostatistics Unit, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuhei Mayanagi
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Irino
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Fukuda
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rieko Nakamura
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroya Takeuchi
- Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Yuko Kitagawa
- Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ramos-Medina R, López-Tarruella S, del Monte-Millán M, Massarrah T, Martín M. Technical Challenges for CTC Implementation in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4619. [PMID: 34572846 PMCID: PMC8466817 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm in women worldwide. Tissue biopsy, currently the gold standard to obtain tumor molecular information, is invasive and might be affected by tumor heterogeneity rendering it incapable to portray the complete dynamic picture by the absence of specific genetic changes during the evolution of the disease. In contrast, liquid biopsy can provide unique opportunities for real-time monitoring of disease progression, treatment response and for studying tumor heterogeneity combining the information of DNA that tumors spread in the blood (circulating tumor DNA) with CTCs analysis. In this review, we analyze the technical and biological challenges for isolation and characterization of circulating tumor cells from breast cancer patients. Circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration value is included in numerous clinical studies due to the prognostic's role of these cells. Despite this, there are so many questions pending to answer. How to manage lymphocytes background, how to distinguish the CTCs subtypes or how to work with frozen samples, are some of the issues that will discuss in this review. Based on our experience, we try to address these issues and other technical limitations that should be solved to optimize the standardization of protocols, sample extraction procedures, circulating-tumor material isolation (CTCs vs. ctDNA) and the very diverse methodologies employed, aiming to consolidate the use of CTCs in the clinic. Furthermore, we think that new approaches focusing on isolation CTCs in other body fluids such as cerebrospinal or ascitic fluid are necessary to increase the opportunities of circulating tumor cells in the practice clinic as well as to study the promising role of CTC clusters and their prognostic value in metastatic breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Miguel Martín
- Servicio de Oncología Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañon (IiSGM), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, CIBERONC, Universidad Complutense, 28007 Madrid, Spain; (R.R.-M.); (S.L.-T.); (M.d.M.-M.); (T.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Liu J, Lian J, Chen Y, Zhao X, Du C, Xu Y, Hu H, Rao H, Hong X. Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs): A Unique Model of Cancer Metastases and Non-invasive Biomarkers of Therapeutic Response. Front Genet 2021; 12:734595. [PMID: 34512735 PMCID: PMC8424190 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.734595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Late-stage cancer metastasis remains incurable in the clinic and is the major cause death in patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are thought to be metastatic precursors shed from the primary tumor or metastatic deposits and circulate in the blood. The molecular network regulating CTC survival, extravasation, and colonization in distant metastatic sites is poorly defined, largely due to challenges in isolating rare CTCs. Recent advances in CTC isolation and ex vivo culture techniques facilitates single-cell omics and the development of related animal models to study CTC-mediated metastatic progression. With these powerful tools, CTCs can potentially be used as non-invasive biomarkers predicting therapeutic response. These studies may open a new avenue for CTC-specific drug discoveries. In this short review, we aim to summarize recent progress in the characterization of CTCs and their clinical relevance in various cancers, setting the stage for realizing personalized therapies against metastases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingru Lian
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yafei Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - ChangZheng Du
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hailiang Hu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hai Rao
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Hong
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Menyailo ME, Bokova UA, Ivanyuk EE, Khozyainova AA, Denisov EV. Metastasis Prevention: Focus on Metastatic Circulating Tumor Cells. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 25:549-562. [PMID: 34287797 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-021-00543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the main cause of cancer death. Metastatic foci are derived from tumor cells that detach from the primary tumor and then enter the circulation. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are generally associated with a high probability of distant metastasis and a negative prognosis. Most CTCs die in the bloodstream, and only a few cells form metastases. Such metastatic CTCs have a stem-like and hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype, can avoid immune surveillance, and show increased therapy resistance. Targeting metastatic CTCs and their progenitors in primary tumors and their descendants, particularly disseminated tumor cells, represents an attractive strategy for metastasis prevention. However, current therapeutic strategies mainly target the primary tumor and only indirectly affect metastasis-initiating cells. Here, we consider potential methods for preventing metastasis based on targeting molecular and cellular features of metastatic CTCs, including CTC clusters. Also, we emphasize current knowledge gaps in CTC biology that should be addressed to develop highly effective therapeutics and strategies for metastasis suppression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxim E Menyailo
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Ustinia A Bokova
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Elena E Ivanyuk
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Anna A Khozyainova
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia
| | - Evgeny V Denisov
- Laboratory of Cancer Progression Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Kooperativny Str. 5, Tomsk, 634009, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Evaluation of endocrine resistance using ESR1 genotyping of circulating tumor cells and plasma DNA. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 188:43-52. [PMID: 34101078 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06270-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Therapeutic efficacy of hormonal therapies to target estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer is limited by the acquisition of ligand-independent ESR1 mutations, which confer treatment resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Monitoring for the emergence of such mutations may enable individualized therapy. We thus assessed CTC- and ctDNA-based detection of ESR1 mutations with the aim of evaluating non-invasive approaches for the determination of endocrine resistance. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a prospective cohort of 55 women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, we isolated circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and developed a high-sensitivity method for the detection of ESR1 mutations in these CTCs. In patients with sufficient plasma for the simultaneous extraction of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), we performed a parallel analysis of ESR1 mutations using multiplex droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and examined the agreement between these two platforms. Finally, we isolated single CTCs from a subset of these patients and reviewed RNA expression to explore alternate methods of evaluating endocrine responsiveness. RESULTS High-sensitivity ESR1 sequencing from CTCs revealed mono- and oligoclonal mutations in 22% of patients. These were concordant with plasma DNA sequencing in 95% of cases. Emergence of ESR1 mutations was correlated both with time to metastatic relapse and duration of AI therapy following such recurrence. The Presence of an ESR1 mutation, compared to ESR1 wild type, was associated with markedly shorter Progression-Free Survival on AI-based therapies (p = 0.0006), but unaltered to other non-AI-based therapies (p = 0.73). Compared with ESR1 mutant cases, AI-resistant CTCs with wild-type ESR1 showed an elevated ER-coactivator RNA signature, consistent with their predicted response to second-line hormonal therapies. CONCLUSION Blood-based serial monitoring may guide the selection of precision therapeutics for women with AI-resistant ER-positive breast cancer.
Collapse
|
39
|
Migliaccio I, Leo A, Galardi F, Guarducci C, Fusco GM, Benelli M, Di Leo A, Biganzoli L, Malorni L. Circulating Biomarkers of CDK4/6 Inhibitors Response in Hormone Receptor Positive and HER2 Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2640. [PMID: 34072070 PMCID: PMC8199335 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) and endocrine therapy are the standard treatment for patients with hormone receptor-positive and HER2 negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer. Patients might show intrinsic and acquired resistance, which leads to treatment failure and progression. Circulating biomarkers have the potential advantages of recognizing patients who might not respond to treatment, monitoring treatment effects and identifying markers of acquired resistance during tumor progression with a simple withdrawal of peripheral blood. Genomic alterations on circulating tumor DNA and serum thymidine kinase activity, but also circulating tumor cells, epigenetic or exosome markers are currently being tested as markers of CDK4/6i treatment response, even though none of these have been integrated into clinical practice. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements in the development of circulating biomarkers of CDK4/6i response in patients with HR+/HER2-breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Migliaccio
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.L.); (F.G.); (G.M.F.); (L.M.)
| | - Angela Leo
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.L.); (F.G.); (G.M.F.); (L.M.)
| | - Francesca Galardi
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.L.); (F.G.); (G.M.F.); (L.M.)
| | - Cristina Guarducci
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Giulio Maria Fusco
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.L.); (F.G.); (G.M.F.); (L.M.)
| | - Matteo Benelli
- Bioinformatics Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy;
| | - Angelo Di Leo
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.D.L.); (L.B.)
| | - Laura Biganzoli
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.D.L.); (L.B.)
| | - Luca Malorni
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.L.); (F.G.); (G.M.F.); (L.M.)
- “Sandro Pitigliani” Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, 59100 Prato, Italy; (A.D.L.); (L.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Chemi F, Mohan S, Guevara T, Clipson A, Rothwell DG, Dive C. Early Dissemination of Circulating Tumor Cells: Biological and Clinical Insights. Front Oncol 2021; 11:672195. [PMID: 34026650 PMCID: PMC8138033 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.672195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a causal role in the development of metastasis, the major cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. In the past decade, the development of powerful cellular and molecular technologies has led to a better understanding of the molecular characteristics and timing of dissemination of CTCs during cancer progression. For instance, genotypic and phenotypic characterization of CTCs, at the single cell level, has shown that CTCs are heterogenous, disseminate early and could represent only a minor subpopulation of the primary tumor responsible for disease relapse. While the impact of molecular profiling of CTCs has not yet been translated to the clinic, CTC enumeration has been widely used as a prognostic biomarker to monitor treatment response and to predict disease relapse. However, previous studies have revealed a major challenge: the low abundance of CTCs in the bloodstream of patients with cancer, especially in early stage disease where the identification and characterization of subsequently "lethal" cells has potentially the greatest clinical relevance. The CTC field is rapidly evolving with development of new technologies to improve the sensitivity of CTC detection, enumeration, isolation, and molecular profiling. Here we examine the technical and analytical validity of CTC technologies, we summarize current data on the biology of CTCs that disseminate early and review CTC-based clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Chemi
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, Macclesfield, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Caroline Dive
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, Macclesfield, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Galardi F, De Luca F, Biagioni C, Migliaccio I, Curigliano G, Minisini AM, Bonechi M, Moretti E, Risi E, McCartney A, Benelli M, Romagnoli D, Cappadona S, Gabellini S, Guarducci C, Conti V, Biganzoli L, Di Leo A, Malorni L. Circulating tumor cells and palbociclib treatment in patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: results from a translational sub-study of the TREnd trial. Breast Cancer Res 2021; 23:38. [PMID: 33761970 PMCID: PMC7992319 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-021-01415-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are prognostic in patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC). However, no data exist about their use in patients treated with palbociclib. We analyzed the prognostic role of CTC counts in patients enrolled in the cTREnd study, a pre-planned translational sub-study of TREnd (NCT02549430), that randomized patients with ABC to palbociclib alone or palbociclib plus the endocrine therapy received in the prior line of treatment. Moreover, we evaluated RB1 gene expression on CTCs and explored its prognostic role within the cTREnd subpopulation. Methods Forty-six patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative ABC were analyzed. Blood samples were collected before starting palbociclib treatment (timepoint T0), after the first cycle of treatment (timepoint T1), and at disease progression (timepoint T2). CTCs were isolated and counted by CellSearch® System using the CellSearch™Epithelial Cell kit. Progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit (CB) during study treatment, and time to treatment failure (TTF) after study treatment were correlated with CTC counts. Samples with ≥ 5 CTCs were sorted by DEPArray system® (DA). RB1 and GAPDH gene expression levels were measured by ddPCR. Results All 46 patients were suitable for CTCs analysis. CTC count at T0 did not show significant prognostic value in terms of PFS and CB. Patients with at least one detectable CTC at T1 (n = 26) had a worse PFS than those with 0 CTCs (n = 16) (p = 0.02). At T1, patients with an increase of at least three CTCs showed reduced PFS compared to those with no increase (mPFS = 3 versus 9 months, (p = 0.004). Finally, patients with ≥ 5 CTCs at T2 (n = 6/23) who received chemotherapy as post-study treatment had a shorter TTF (p = 0.02). Gene expression data for RB1 were obtained from 19 patients. CTCs showed heterogeneous RB1 expression. Patients with detectable expression of RB1 at any timepoint showed better, but not statistically significant, outcomes than those with undetectable levels. Conclusions CTC count seems to be a promising modality in monitoring palbociclib response. Moreover, CTC count at the time of progression could predict clinical outcome post-palbociclib. RB1 expression analysis on CTCs is feasible and may provide additional prognostic information. Results should be interpreted with caution given the small studied sample size. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-021-01415-w.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Galardi
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Francesca De Luca
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | | | - Ilenia Migliaccio
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of Early Drug Development, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Haematology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro M Minisini
- Department of Oncology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria del Friuli Centrale, Udine, Italy
| | - Martina Bonechi
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Erica Moretti
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Emanuela Risi
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Amelia McCartney
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy.,School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | - Silvia Cappadona
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Stefano Gabellini
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Cristina Guarducci
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA
| | - Valerio Conti
- Pediatric Neurology, Neurogenetics and Neurobiology Unit and Laboratories, Children's Hospital A. Meyer-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Biganzoli
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Angelo Di Leo
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Luca Malorni
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy. .,"Sandro Pitigliani" Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Malik V, Kalakoti Y, Sundar D. Deep learning assisted multi-omics integration for survival and drug-response prediction in breast cancer. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:214. [PMID: 33761889 PMCID: PMC7992339 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07524-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Survival and drug response are two highly emphasized clinical outcomes in cancer research that directs the prognosis of a cancer patient. Here, we have proposed a late multi omics integrative framework that robustly quantifies survival and drug response for breast cancer patients with a focus on the relative predictive ability of available omics datatypes. Neighborhood component analysis (NCA), a supervised feature selection algorithm selected relevant features from multi-omics datasets retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) databases. A Neural network framework, fed with NCA selected features, was used to develop survival and drug response prediction models for breast cancer patients. The drug response framework used regression and unsupervised clustering (K-means) to segregate samples into responders and non-responders based on their predicted IC50 values (Z-score). Results The survival prediction framework was highly effective in categorizing patients into risk subtypes with an accuracy of 94%. Compared to single-omics and early integration approaches, our drug response prediction models performed significantly better and were able to predict IC50 values (Z-score) with a mean square error (MSE) of 1.154 and an overall regression value of 0.92, showing a linear relationship between predicted and actual IC50 values. Conclusion The proposed omics integration strategy provides an effective way of extracting critical information from diverse omics data types enabling estimation of prognostic indicators. Such integrative models with high predictive power would have a significant impact and utility in precision oncology. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07524-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vidhi Malik
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Yogesh Kalakoti
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Durai Sundar
- DAILAB, Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, New Delhi, India.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Bhat-Nakshatri P, Gao H, Sheng L, McGuire PC, Xuei X, Wan J, Liu Y, Althouse SK, Colter A, Sandusky G, Storniolo AM, Nakshatri H. A single-cell atlas of the healthy breast tissues reveals clinically relevant clusters of breast epithelial cells. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2021; 2:100219. [PMID: 33763657 PMCID: PMC7974552 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is an evolving technology used to elucidate the cellular architecture of adult organs. Previous scRNA-seq on breast tissue utilized reduction mammoplasty samples, which are often histologically abnormal. We report a rapid tissue collection/processing protocol to perform scRNA-seq of breast biopsies of healthy women and identify 23 breast epithelial cell clusters. Putative cell-of-origin signatures derived from these clusters are applied to analyze transcriptomes of ~3,000 breast cancers. Gene signatures derived from mature luminal cell clusters are enriched in ~68% of breast cancers, whereas a signature from a luminal progenitor cluster is enriched in ~20% of breast cancers. Overexpression of luminal progenitor cluster-derived signatures in HER2+, but not in other subtypes, is associated with unfavorable outcome. We identify TBX3 and PDK4 as genes co-expressed with estrogen receptor (ER) in the normal breasts, and their expression analyses in >550 breast cancers enable prognostically relevant subclassification of ER+ breast cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University of School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Hongyu Gao
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Liu Sheng
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Patrick C McGuire
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xuei
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Jun Wan
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sandra K Althouse
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Austyn Colter
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - George Sandusky
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Anna Maria Storniolo
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Harikrishna Nakshatri
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University of School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
RNA-Based CTC Analysis Provides Prognostic Information in Metastatic Breast Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11030513. [PMID: 33799422 PMCID: PMC7998407 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11030513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In metastatic breast cancer (MBC) the molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) provides a unique tool to understand metastasis-biology and therapy-resistance. We evaluated the prognostic significance of gene expression in EpCAM(+) CTCs in 46 MBC patients based on a long follow-up. We selected a panel consisting of stem cell markers (CD24, CD44, ALDH1), the mesenchymal marker TWIST1, receptors (ESR1, PGR, HER2, EGFR) and the epithelial marker CK-19. Singleplex RT-qPCR was used for TWIST1 and CK-19 and multiplex RT-qPCR for stem cell markers and receptors. A group of 19 healthy donors (HD) was used as control. Univariate (p = 0.001) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.002) revealed the prognostic value of combined gene expression of CK-19(+), CD44high/CD24low, ALDH1high/CD24low and HER2 over-expression for overall survival (OS). The Kaplan–Meier estimates of OS were significantly different in patients positive for CK-19 (p = 0.028), CD44high/CD24low (p = 0.002), ALDH1high/CD24low (p = 0.007) and HER2-positive (p = 0.022). Our results indicate that combined gene expression analysis in EpCAM(+) CTCs provides prognostic information in MBC.
Collapse
|
45
|
Belotti Y, Lim CT. Microfluidics for Liquid Biopsies: Recent Advances, Current Challenges, and Future Directions. Anal Chem 2021; 93:4727-4738. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Belotti
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599 Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599 Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583 Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 117411 Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Werner S, Heidrich I, Pantel K. Clinical management and biology of tumor dormancy in breast cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 78:49-62. [PMID: 33582172 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Clinical tumor dormancy is specified as an extended latency period between removal of the primary tumor and subsequent relapse in a cancer patient who has been clinically disease-free. In particular, patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer can undergo extended periods of more than five years before they relapse with overt metastatic disease. Recent studies have shown that minimal residual disease in breast cancer patients can be monitored by different liquid biopsy approaches like analysis of circulating tumor cells or cell-free tumor DNA. Even though the biological principles underlying tumor dormancy in breast cancer patients remain largely unknown, clinical observations and experimental studies have identified emerging mechanisms that control the state of tumor dormancy. In this review, we illustrate the latest discoveries on different molecular aspects that contribute to the control of tumor dormancy and distant metastatic relapse, then discuss current treatments affecting minimal residual disease and dormant cancer cells, and finally highlight how novel liquid biopsy based diagnostic methodologies can be integrated into the detection and molecular characterization of minimal residual disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Werner
- Institute for Tumor Biology, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany; Mildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentrum HaTRiCs4, Universitäres Cancer Center Hamburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Heidrich
- Institute for Tumor Biology, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Pantel
- Institute for Tumor Biology, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
ESR1 NAPA Assay: Development and Analytical Validation of a Highly Sensitive and Specific Blood-Based Assay for the Detection of ESR1 Mutations in Liquid Biopsies. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030556. [PMID: 33535614 PMCID: PMC7867152 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary A considerable number of estrogen-receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer patients develop resistance to endocrine treatment. One of the most important resistance mechanisms is the presence of ESR1 mutations. In the present study, we developed and analytically validated a novel, highly sensitive and specific nuclease-assisted minor-allele enrichment with probe-overlap (NaME-PrO)-assisted Amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) (NAPA) assay for the detection of four ESR1 mutations (Y537S, Y537C, Y537N and D538G). The assay was further applied in 13 ER+ breast cancer (BrCa) primary tumour tissues (FFPEs), 13 non-cancerous breast tissues (mammoplasties), and 32 pairs of liquid biopsy samples [circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and paired plasma circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA)] obtained at different time points from 8 ER+ metastatic breast cancer patients. In the plasma ctDNA, the ESR1 mutations were not identified at the baseline, whereas the D538G mutation was detected during the follow-up period at five consecutive time points in one patient. In the CTCs, only the Y537C mutation was detected in one patient sample at the baseline. A direct comparison of the ESR1 NAPA assay with the drop-off ddPCR using 32 identical plasma ctDNA samples gave a concordance of 90.6%. We present a low-cost, highly specific, sensitive and robust assay for blood-based ESR1 profiling. Abstract A considerable number of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (ER+ BrCa) patients develop resistance to endocrine treatment. One of the most important resistance mechanisms is the presence of ESR1 mutations. We developed and analytically validated a highly sensitive and specific NaME-PrO-assisted ARMS (NAPA) assay for the detection of four ESR1 mutations (Y537S, Y537C, Y537N and D538G) in circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and paired plasma circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in patients with ER+ BrCa. The analytical specificity, analytical sensitivity and reproducibility of the assay were validated using synthetic oligos standards. We further applied the developed ESR1 NAPA assay in 13 ER+ BrCa primary tumour tissues, 13 non-cancerous breast tissues (mammoplasties) and 64 liquid biopsy samples: 32 EpCAM-positive cell fractions and 32 paired plasma ctDNA samples obtained at different time points from 8 ER+ metastatic breast cancer patients, during a 5-year follow-up period. Peripheral blood from 11 healthy donors (HD) was used as a control. The developed assay is highly sensitive (a detection of mutation-allelic-frequency (MAF) of 0.5% for D538G and 0.1% for Y537S, Y537C, Y537N), and highly specific (0/13 mammoplasties and 0/11 HD for all mutations). In the plasma ctDNA, ESR1 mutations were not identified at the baseline, whereas the D538G mutation was detected in five sequential ctDNA samples during the follow-up period in the same patient. In the EpCAM-isolated cell fractions, only the Y537C mutation was detected in one patient sample at the baseline. A direct comparison of the ESR1 NAPA assay with the drop-off ddPCR using 32 identical plasma ctDNA samples gave a concordance of 90.6%. We present a low cost, highly specific, sensitive and robust assay for blood-based ESR1 profiling. The clinical performance of the ESR1 NAPA assay will be prospectively evaluated in a large number of well-characterized patient cohorts.
Collapse
|
48
|
Circulating Tumor Cells and Bevacizumab Pharmacokinetics during Neoadjuvant Treatment Combining Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab for Early Breast Cancer: Ancillary Analysis of the AVASTEM Trial. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13010140. [PMID: 33466225 PMCID: PMC7796232 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The phase II AVASTEM trial explored the impact of chemotherapy-bevacizumab combination on breast cancer stem cells in the neoadjuvant setting. We aimed to identify biological features associated with preoperative chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis by analyses of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and bevacizumab pharmacokinetics (PK). The main objective was to assess the prognostic (relapse-free survival and overall survival) and predictive (pathological complete response, pCR) values of CTCs (CellSearch technology) and bevacizumab PK (ELISA). Seventy-five patients were included. Out of them 50 received bevacizumab-chemotherapy and 25 received chemotherapy alone. CTC results were available for 60 patients and PK data for 29 patients in the experimental arm. The absence of CTC at inclusion was correlated to better outcome. Five-years overall survival (OS) was 91% for CTC-negative patients vs. 54% for CTC-positive cases (HR = 6.21; 95%CI (1.75-22.06), p = 0.001, log-rank test). Similar results were observed for RFS with 5 y-RFS of 78% vs. 44% (HR = 3.51; 95%CI (1.17-10.52), p = 0.017, log-rank test). However, CTC status at baseline was not predictive of pCR (p = 0.74). CTC status after one cycle was not a significant prognostic factor (HR = 1.56; 95%CI (0.19-12.67); p = 0.68 for OS and HR = 2.76; 95%CI (0.60-12.61); p = 0.17 for RFS, log-rank test). Bevacizumab serum levels could not predict pCR and survival. PK values were not associated with treatment-related toxicities. In conclusion, CTCs detection at baseline is a prognostic marker for breast cancer receiving a neoadjuvant chemotherapy-bevacizumab combination independently of tumor response.
Collapse
|
49
|
Ray SK, Mukherjee S. Cell free DNA as an evolving liquid biopsy biomarker for initial diagnosis and therapeutic nursing in Cancer- An evolving aspect in Medical Biotechnology. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2020; 23:112-122. [PMID: 33308128 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021666201211102710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is present in numerous body fluids in addition to initiates generally from blood cells. It is undoubtedly the utmost promising tool among all components of liquid biopsy. Liquid biopsy is a specialized method investigating the nonsolid biological tissue by revealing of circulating cells, cell free DNA etc. that enter body fluids. Since, cancer cells disengage from compact tumors circulate in peripheral blood, evaluating blood of cancer patients holds the opportunities for capture and molecular level analysis of various tumor-derived constituents. Cell free DNA samples can deliver a significant perceptions into oncology, for instance tumor heterogeneity, instantaneous tumor development, response to therapy and treatment, comprising immunotherapy and mechanisms of cancer metastasis. Malignant growth at any phase can outhouse tumor cells in addition to fragments of neoplasticity causing DNA into circulatory system giving noble sign of mutation in the tumor at sampling time. Liquid biopsy distinguishes diverse blood based evolving biomarkers comprising circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) or cfDNA, circulating RNA (cfRNA) and exosomes. Cell free DNA are little DNA fragments found circulating in plasma or serum, just as other fluids present in our body. Cell free DNA involves primarily double stranded nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA, present both on a surface level and in the lumen of vesicles. The probable origins of the tumor-inferred portion of cfDNA are apoptosis or tumor necrosis, lysis of CTCs or release of DNA from the tumor cells into circulation. The evolution of innovations, refinement and improvement in therapeutics for determination of cfDNA fragment size and its distribution provide significant information related with pathological conditions of the cell, thus emerging as promising indicator for clinical output in medical biotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sukhes Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry. All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Bhopal, Madhya pradesh-462020. India
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Alba-Bernal A, Lavado-Valenzuela R, Domínguez-Recio ME, Jiménez-Rodriguez B, Queipo-Ortuño MI, Alba E, Comino-Méndez I. Challenges and achievements of liquid biopsy technologies employed in early breast cancer. EBioMedicine 2020; 62:103100. [PMID: 33161226 PMCID: PMC7670097 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women worldwide and its early detection is crucial to curing the disease. Tissue biopsy, currently the method of choice to obtain tumour molecular information, is invasive and might be affected by tumour heterogeneity rendering it incapable to portray the complete molecular picture. Liquid biopsy permits to study disease features in a more comprehensive manner by sampling biofluids and extracting tumour components such as circulating-tumour DNA (ctDNA), circulating-tumour cells (CTCs), and/or circulating-tumour RNA (ctRNA) amongst others in a monitoring-compatible manner. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the utilization of the circulating tumour components using early breast cancer samples. We review the most important analytes and technologies employed for their study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Alba-Bernal
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Rocío Lavado-Valenzuela
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - María Emilia Domínguez-Recio
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Begoña Jiménez-Rodriguez
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - María Isabel Queipo-Ortuño
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Emilio Alba
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain.
| | - Iñaki Comino-Méndez
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|