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Aleksakhina SN, Ivantsov AO, Imyanitov EN. Agnostic Administration of Targeted Anticancer Drugs: Looking for a Balance between Hype and Caution. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4094. [PMID: 38612902 PMCID: PMC11012409 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25074094] [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: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Many tumors have well-defined vulnerabilities, thus potentially allowing highly specific and effective treatment. There is a spectrum of actionable genetic alterations which are shared across various tumor types and, therefore, can be targeted by a given drug irrespective of tumor histology. Several agnostic drug-target matches have already been approved for clinical use, e.g., immune therapy for tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI) and/or high tumor mutation burden (TMB), NTRK1-3 and RET inhibitors for cancers carrying rearrangements in these kinases, and dabrafenib plus trametinib for BRAF V600E mutated malignancies. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that this histology-independent approach is also reasonable for tumors carrying ALK and ROS1 translocations, biallelic BRCA1/2 inactivation and/or homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), strong HER2 amplification/overexpression coupled with the absence of other MAPK pathway-activating mutations, etc. On the other hand, some well-known targets are not agnostic: for example, PD-L1 expression is predictive for the efficacy of PD-L1/PD1 inhibitors only in some but not all cancer types. Unfortunately, the individual probability of finding a druggable target in a given tumor is relatively low, even with the use of comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays. Nevertheless, the rapidly growing utilization of NGS will significantly increase the number of patients with highly unusual or exceptionally rare tumor-target combinations. Clinical trials may provide only a framework for treatment attitudes, while the decisions for individual patients usually require case-by-case consideration of the probability of deriving benefit from agnostic versus standard therapy, drug availability, associated costs, and other circumstances. The existing format of data dissemination may not be optimal for agnostic cancer medicine, as conventional scientific journals are understandably biased towards the publication of positive findings and usually discourage the submission of case reports. Despite all the limitations and concerns, histology-independent drug-target matching is certainly feasible and, therefore, will be increasingly utilized in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana N. Aleksakhina
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N. N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander O. Ivantsov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N. N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, St. Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeny N. Imyanitov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N. N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, St. Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Panahandeh AR, Delashoub M, Aval SF. The effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium combined with tamoxifen drug on BRCA1 and BRCA2 expression in breast cancer mouse models. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:241. [PMID: 38300337 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08926-z] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing number of studies has indicated that the expression of Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes 1 (BRCA1) and BRCA2 contribute to the resistance to DNA-damaging chemotherapies. Tamoxifen induces tumor cell death by suppressing estrogen receptor (ER) signaling and inducing DNA damage, and BRCA1 upregulation causes Tamoxifen chemoresistance in breast cancer cells. Consequently, this research study aimed to investigate the possible therapeutic effect of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Conditioned Medium (UCMSCs-CM) on sensitizing breast cancer cells to Tamoxifen by regulating BRCA1 and BRCA2 expression in vivo. METHODS Forty female mice, 4-8 weeks old, with weight of 150 g, were used for this study. Mouse 4T1 breast tumor models were established and then treated with UCMSCs-CM and Tamoxifen alone or in combination. After 10 days, the tumor masses were collected and the expression levels of BRCA1 and BRCA2 were evaluated using qRT-PCR assay. RESULTS The results obtained from qRT-PCR assay illustrated that UCMSCs-CM, either alone or in combination with Tamoxifen, significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of BRCA1 in breast cancer mouse models. However, both UCMSCs-CM and Tamoxifen indicated no statistically significant impact on BRCA2 mRNA expression compared to controls. CONCLUSION Our findings evidenced that UCMSCs-CM could be considered as a potential therapeutic option to modulate Tamoxifen chemosensitivity by regulating BRCA1 in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Reza Panahandeh
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Masoud Delashoub
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
- Department of basic science, Biotechnology Research Centre, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Sedigheh Fekri Aval
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
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Dong Y, Ye S, Li H, Li J, Liu R, Zhu Y. The Role of SPEN Mutations as Predictive Biomarkers for Immunotherapy Response in Colorectal Cancer: Insights from a Retrospective Cohort Analysis. J Pers Med 2024; 14:131. [PMID: 38392565 PMCID: PMC10890329 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14020131] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and treatment, especially in the metastatic stage, is challenging. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized CRC treatment, but response varies, emphasizing the need for effective biomarkers. This study explores SPEN mutations as potential biomarkers. METHODS Using data from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-Colorectal Cancer, this research applied bioinformatics tools and statistical analysis to SPEN (Split Ends) mutant and wild-type CRC patients treated with ICIs. Focus areas included mutation rates, immune cell infiltration, and DNA damage response pathways. RESULTS The SPEN mutation rate was found to be 13.8% (15/109 patients) in the MSKCC cohort and 6.65% (35/526 patients) in the TCGA cohort. Our findings indicate that CRC patients with SPEN mutations had a longer median overall survival (OS) than the wild-type group. These patients also had higher tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI) scores, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. SPEN mutants also exhibited increased DNA damage response (DDR) pathway mutations and a greater presence of activated immune cells, like M1 macrophages and CD8+ T cells, while wild-type patients had more resting/suppressive immune cells. Furthermore, distinct mutation patterns, notably with TP53, indicated a unique molecular subtype in SPEN-mutated CRC. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that SPEN mutations might improve ICI efficacy in CRC due to increased immunogenicity and an inflammatory tumor microenvironment. SPEN mutations could be predictive biomarkers for ICI responsiveness, underscoring their value in personalized therapy and highlighting the importance of genomic data in clinical decisions. This research lays the groundwork for future precision oncology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanmei Dong
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Sisi Ye
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Huizi Li
- Department of Nutrition, PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Rongrui Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Yanyun Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Fifth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
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Imyanitov EN, Kuligina ES, Sokolenko AP, Suspitsin EN, Yanus GA, Iyevleva AG, Ivantsov AO, Aleksakhina SN. Hereditary cancer syndromes. World J Clin Oncol 2023; 14:40-68. [PMID: 36908677 PMCID: PMC9993141 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v14.i2.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Hereditary cancer syndromes (HCSs) are arguably the most frequent category of Mendelian genetic diseases, as at least 2% of presumably healthy subjects carry highly-penetrant tumor-predisposing pathogenic variants (PVs). Hereditary breast-ovarian cancer and Lynch syndrome make the highest contribution to cancer morbidity; in addition, there are several dozen less frequent types of familial tumors. The development of the majority albeit not all hereditary malignancies involves two-hit mechanism, i.e. the somatic inactivation of the remaining copy of the affected gene. Earlier studies on cancer families suggested nearly fatal penetrance for the majority of HCS genes; however, population-based investigations and especially large-scale next-generation sequencing data sets demonstrate that the presence of some highly-penetrant PVs is often compatible with healthy status. Hereditary cancer research initially focused mainly on cancer detection and prevention. Recent studies identified multiple HCS-specific drug vulnerabilities, which translated into the development of highly efficient therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny N Imyanitov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Ekaterina S Kuligina
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Anna P Sokolenko
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Evgeny N Suspitsin
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Grigoriy A Yanus
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Aglaya G Iyevleva
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Alexandr O Ivantsov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
| | - Svetlana N Aleksakhina
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg 194100, Russia
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Discrimination between Complete versus Non-Complete Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy Using Ultrasensitive Mutation Analysis: A Proof-of-Concept Study in BRCA1-Driven Breast Cancer Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031870. [PMID: 36768191 PMCID: PMC9914941 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031870] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for breast cancer (BC) often results in pathologic complete response (pCR), i.e., the complete elimination of visible cancer cells. It is unclear whether the use of ultrasensitive genetic methods may still detect residual BC cells in complete responders. Breast carcinomas arising in BRCA1 mutation carriers almost always carry alterations of the TP53 gene thus providing an opportunity to address this question. The analysis of consecutive BC patients treated by NACT revealed a higher pCR rate in BRCA1-driven vs. BRCA1-wildtype BCs (13/24 (54%) vs. 29/192 (15%), p < 0.0001). Twelve pre-/post-NACT tissue pairs obtained from BRCA1 mutation carriers were available for the study. While TP53 mutation was identified in all chemonaive tumors, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) analysis of the post-NACT tumor bed revealed the persistence of this alteration in all seven pCR-non-responders but in none of five pCR responders. Eleven patients provided to the study post-NACT tissue samples only; next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed mutated TP53 copies in all six cases without pCR but in none of five instances of pCR. In total, TP53 mutation was present in post-NACT tissues in all 13 cases without pCR, but in none of 10 patients with pCR (p < 0.000001). Therefore, the lack of visible tumor cells in the post-NACT tumor bed is indeed a reliable indicator of the complete elimination of transformed clones. Failure of ultrasensitive methods to identify patients with minimal residual disease among pCR responders suggests that the result of NACT is a categorical rather than continuous variable, where some patients are destined to be cured while others ultimately fail to experience tumor eradication.
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Imyanitov EN. Classification of breast cancer subtypes based on RNA profiling and immunohistochemical methods: clinical and biological aspects: A review. JOURNAL OF MODERN ONCOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.26442/18151434.2022.3.201832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptome analysis provided a tool to identify expression subtypes of breast cancer (BC). A significant part of BCs are carcinomas that differ in the expression of luminal mammary ductal epithelium markers and estrogen signaling cascade genes (luminal subtypes A and B). Another group of BCs is characterized by the expression of ductal basal lining genes. Another subtype of BC has genes typically expressed in HER2-induced tumors. Immunohistochemical (IHC) examination is reliable in identifying the tumor subtype. Tumors with high IHC-expression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors with no signs of HER2 gene activation and low proliferative activity should be referred to as luminal type A. The absence of ER, PR, and HER2 expression should be considered a sign of basal tumor subtype. However, the IHC classification cannot reliably distinguish HER2-positive tumors and HER2-enriched subtypes, which do not reflect the biological features of some BCs. For instance, a significant number of ER-positive breast cancer patients included in the MONALEESA ribociclib clinical study had HER2-subtype transcriptional signatures in the absence of HER2 receptor expression, and these were the ones who demonstrated a pronounced response to treatment.
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Imyanitov E, Sokolenko A. Integrative Genomic Tests in Clinical Oncology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13129. [PMID: 36361916 PMCID: PMC9656402 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Many clinical decisions in oncology practice rely on the presence or absence of an alteration in a single genetic locus, be it a pathogenic variant in a hereditary cancer gene or activating mutation in a drug target. In addition, there are integrative tests that produce continuous variables and evaluate complex characteristics of the entire tumor genome. Microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis identifies tumors with the accumulation of mutations in short repetitive nucleotide sequences. This procedure is utilized in Lynch syndrome diagnostic pipelines and for the selection of patients for immunotherapy. MSI analysis is well-established for colorectal malignancies, but its applications in other cancer types lack standardization and require additional research. Homologous repair deficiency (HRD) indicates tumor sensitivity to PARP inhibitors and some cytotoxic drugs. HRD-related "genomic scars" are manifested by a characteristic pattern of allelic imbalances, accumulation of deletions with flanking homology, and specific mutation signatures. The detection of the genetic consequences of HRD is particularly sophisticated and expensive, as it involves either whole genome sequencing (WGS) or the utilization of large next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) can be determined by whole exome sequencing (WES) or middle-throughput NGS multigene testing. Although TMB is regarded as an agnostic indicator of tumor sensitivity to immunotherapy, the clinical utility of this test is proven only for a few cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Imyanitov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Sokolenko
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, 194100 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Imyanitov EN, Iyevleva AG. Molecular tests for prediction of tumor sensitivity to cytotoxic drugs. Cancer Lett 2022; 526:41-52. [PMID: 34808283 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.11.021] [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: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapy constitutes the backbone of cancer treatment. Several predictive assays assist personalized administration of cytotoxic drugs and are recommended for use in a clinical setting. The deficiency of DNA repair by homologous recombination (HRD), which is caused by inactivation of BRCA1/2 genes or other genetic events, is associated with high tumor responsiveness to platinum compounds, bifunctional alkylating agents and topoisomerase II poisons. Low activity of MGMT predicts the efficacy of nitrosoureas and tetrazines. Some clinically established pharmacogenetic tests allow for the adjustment of drug dosage, for example, the analysis of DPYD allelic variants for administration of fluoropyrimidines and UGT1A1 genotyping for the use of irinotecan. While there are promising molecular predictors of tumor sensitivity to pemetrexed, gemcitabine and taxanes, they remain in the investigational stage and require additional validation. Comprehensive molecular analysis of tumors obtained from drug responders and non-responders is likely to reveal new clinically useful predictive markers for cytotoxic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny N Imyanitov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, 197758, Russia; Department of Medical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 194100, Russia; Department of Oncology, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 191015, Russia.
| | - Aglaya G Iyevleva
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, 197758, Russia; Department of Medical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 194100, Russia
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Aleksakhina SN, Imyanitov EN. Cancer Therapy Guided by Mutation Tests: Current Status and Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222010931. [PMID: 34681592 PMCID: PMC8536080 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The administration of many cancer drugs is tailored to genetic tests. Some genomic events, e.g., alterations of EGFR or BRAF oncogenes, result in the conformational change of the corresponding proteins and call for the use of mutation-specific compounds. Other genetic perturbations, e.g., HER2 amplifications, ALK translocations or MET exon 14 skipping mutations, cause overproduction of the entire protein or its kinase domain. There are multilocus assays that provide integrative characteristics of the tumor genome, such as the analysis of tumor mutation burden or deficiency of DNA repair. Treatment planning for non-small cell lung cancer requires testing for EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, MET, RET and KRAS gene alterations. Colorectal cancer patients need to undergo KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, HER2 and microsatellite instability analysis. The genomic examination of breast cancer includes testing for HER2 amplification and PIK3CA activation. Melanomas are currently subjected to BRAF and, in some instances, KIT genetic analysis. Predictive DNA assays have also been developed for thyroid cancers, cholangiocarcinomas and urinary bladder tumors. There is an increasing utilization of agnostic testing which involves the analysis of all potentially actionable genes across all tumor types. The invention of genomically tailored treatment has resulted in a spectacular improvement in disease outcomes for a significant portion of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana N. Aleksakhina
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
- Department of Medical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, 194100 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeny N. Imyanitov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, 197758 Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
- Department of Medical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, 194100 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-812-439-95-28
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