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Tsai KY, Huang PS, Chu PY, Nguyen TNA, Hung HY, Hsieh CH, Wu MH. Current Applications and Future Directions of Circulating Tumor Cells in Colorectal Cancer Recurrence. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2316. [PMID: 39001379 PMCID: PMC11240518 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16132316] [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: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to predict or detect colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence early after surgery enables physicians to apply appropriate treatment plans and different follow-up strategies to improve patient survival. Overall, 30-50% of CRC patients experience cancer recurrence after radical surgery, but current surveillance tools have limitations in the precise and early detection of cancer recurrence. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that detach from the primary tumor and enter the bloodstream. These can provide real-time information on disease status. CTCs might become novel markers for predicting CRC recurrence and, more importantly, for making decisions about additional adjuvant chemotherapy. In this review, the clinical application of CTCs as a therapeutic marker for stage II CRC is described. It then discusses the utility of CTCs for monitoring cancer recurrence in advanced rectal cancer patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Finally, it discusses the roles of CTC subtypes and CTCs combined with clinicopathological factors in establishing a multimarker model for predicting CRC recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Yu Tsai
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan
| | - Po-Shuan Huang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yu Chu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
| | - Thi Ngoc Anh Nguyen
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Yuan Hung
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsun Hsieh
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, New Taipei Municipal Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsien Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, New Taipei Municipal Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
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Sawai K, Goi T, Kimura Y, Koneri K. Presence of CD44v9-Expressing Cancer Stem Cells in Circulating Tumor Cells and Effects of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels on the Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1556. [PMID: 38672639 PMCID: PMC11048819 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081556] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells released from the primary tumor into the bloodstream, and contain cancer stem cells that influence tumor survival, recurrence, and metastasis. Here, we investigated CD44v9 expression in CTCs and impact of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels on colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis. We analyzed the expression of CD44v9 mRNA in CTCs using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and preoperative CEA levels in blood samples obtained from 300 patients with CRC. Subsequently, we evaluated the association of CD44v9 expression and CEA levels with clinicopathological factors. CD44v9 mRNA was expressed in 31.3% of the patients, and was significantly associated with liver metastasis. Patients with positive CD44v9 expression had a lower 5-year survival rate (62.3%) than those with negative CD44v9 expression (82.8%, p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis identified CD44v9 expression and high CEA levels (≥5 ng/mL) as poor prognostic factors, while negative CD44v9 expression and low CEA levels (<5 ng/mL) were associated with favorable prognosis (hazard ratio = 0.285, p = 0.006). These results suggest that a combination of CD44v9 mRNA expression in CTCs and serum CEA levels could serve as a valuable prognostic marker for CRC, potentially enhancing the accuracy of prognosis predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuji Sawai
- First Department of Surgery, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan; (T.G.); (Y.K.); (K.K.)
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Zhang T, Tai Z, Miao F, Zhang X, Li J, Zhu Q, Wei H, Chen Z. Adoptive cell therapy for solid tumors beyond CAR-T: Current challenges and emerging therapeutic advances. J Control Release 2024; 368:372-396. [PMID: 38408567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.02.033] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive cellular immunotherapy using immune cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) is a highly specific anti-tumor immunotherapy that has shown promise in the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, there has been a slow progress toward the treatment of solid tumors owing to the complex tumor microenvironment that affects the localization and killing ability of the CAR cells. Solid tumors with a strong immunosuppressive microenvironment and complex vascular system are unaffected by CAR cell infiltration and attack. To improve their efficacy toward solid tumors, CAR cells have been modified and upgraded by "decorating" and "pruning". This review focuses on the structure and function of CARs, the immune cells that can be engineered by CARs and the transformation strategies to overcome solid tumors, with a view to broadening ideas for the better application of CAR cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingrui Zhang
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Medical Guarantee Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China; School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Zongguang Tai
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China; Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fengze Miao
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Jiadong Li
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Quangang Zhu
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Hua Wei
- Medical Guarantee Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China.
| | - Zhongjian Chen
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China.
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Hao YJ, Chang LW, Yang CY, Lo LC, Lin CP, Jian YW, Jiang JK, Tseng FG. The rare circulating tumor microemboli as a biomarker contributes to predicting early colorectal cancer recurrences after medical treatment. Transl Res 2024; 263:1-14. [PMID: 37558203 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Early prognosis of cancer recurrence remains difficult partially due to insufficient and ineffective screening biomarkers or regimes. This study evaluated the rare circulating tumor microemboli (CTM) from liquid biopsy individually and together with circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and serum CEA/CA19-9 in a panel, on early prediction of colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence. Stained CTCs/CTM were detected by a microfluidic chip-based automatic rare-cell imaging platform. ROC, AUC, Kaplan-Meier survival, and Cox proportional hazard models regarding 4 selected biomarkers were analyzed. The relative risk, odds ratio, predictive accuracy, and positive/negative predictive value of biomarkers individually and in combination, to predict CRC recurrence were assessed and preliminarily validated. The EpCAM+Hochest+CD45- CTCs/CTM could be found in all cancer stages, where more recurrences were observed in late-stage cases. Significant correlations between CTCs/CTM with metastatic stages and clinical treatment were illustrated. CA19-9 and CTM could be seen as independent risk factors in patient survivals, while stratified patients by grouped biomarkers on the Kaplan-Meier analyses presented more significant differences in predicting CRC recurrences. By monitoring the panel of selected biomarkers, disease progressions of 4 CRC patients during follow-up visits after first treatments within 3 years were predicted successfully. This study unveiled the value of rare CTM on clinical studies and a panel of selected biomarkers on predicting CRC recurrences in patients at the early time after medical treatment, in which the CTM and serum CA19-9 could be applied in clinical surveillance and CRC management to improve the accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Jie Hao
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Lu-Wey Chang
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yung Yang
- Department of Teaching and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Commission for General Education, National United University, Miaoli, Taiwan; General Education Center, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Chuan Lo
- National Genomics Center for Clinical and Biotechnological Applications, Cancer and Immunology Research Center, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ping Lin
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Wei Jian
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Kai Jiang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fan-Gang Tseng
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Research Center for Applied Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Nguyen TNA, Huang PS, Chu PY, Hsieh CH, Wu MH. Recent Progress in Enhanced Cancer Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Monitoring Using a Combined Analysis of the Number of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) and Other Clinical Parameters. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5372. [PMID: 38001632 PMCID: PMC10670359 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225372] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) holds promise to diagnose cancer or monitor its development. Among the methods, counting CTC numbers in blood samples could be the simplest way to implement it. Nevertheless, its clinical utility has not yet been fully accepted. The reasons could be due to the rarity and heterogeneity of CTCs in blood samples that could lead to misleading results from assays only based on single CTC counts. To address this issue, a feasible direction is to combine the CTC counts with other clinical data for analysis. Recent studies have demonstrated the use of this new strategy for early detection and prognosis evaluation of cancers, or even for the distinguishment of cancers with different stages. Overall, this approach could pave a new path to improve the technical problems in the clinical applications of CTC counting techniques. In this review, the information relevant to CTCs, including their characteristics, clinical use of CTC counting, and technologies for CTC enrichment, were first introduced. This was followed by discussing the challenges and new perspectives of CTC counting techniques for clinical applications. Finally, the advantages and the recent progress in combining CTC counts with other clinical parameters for clinical applications have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Ngoc Anh Nguyen
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan; (T.N.A.N.); (P.-S.H.); (P.-Y.C.)
| | - Po-Shuan Huang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan; (T.N.A.N.); (P.-S.H.); (P.-Y.C.)
| | - Po-Yu Chu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan; (T.N.A.N.); (P.-S.H.); (P.-Y.C.)
| | - Chia-Hsun Hsieh
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, New Taipei City Municipal TuCheng Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan;
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
| | - Min-Hsien Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan; (T.N.A.N.); (P.-S.H.); (P.-Y.C.)
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, New Taipei City Municipal TuCheng Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan;
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
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Rozenberg JM, Buzdin AA, Mohammad T, Rakitina OA, Didych DA, Pleshkan VV, Alekseenko IV. Molecules promoting circulating clusters of cancer cells suggest novel therapeutic targets for treatment of metastatic cancers. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1099921. [PMID: 37006265 PMCID: PMC10050392 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1099921] [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: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of metastatic disease remains among the most challenging tasks in oncology. One of the early events that predicts a poor prognosis and precedes the development of metastasis is the occurrence of clusters of cancer cells in the blood flow. Moreover, the presence of heterogeneous clusters of cancerous and noncancerous cells in the circulation is even more dangerous. Review of pathological mechanisms and biological molecules directly involved in the formation and pathogenesis of the heterotypic circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters revealed their common properties, which include increased adhesiveness, combined epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype, CTC-white blood cell interaction, and polyploidy. Several molecules involved in the heterotypic CTC interactions and their metastatic properties, including IL6R, CXCR4 and EPCAM, are targets of approved or experimental anticancer drugs. Accordingly, analysis of patient survival data from the published literature and public datasets revealed that the expression of several molecules affecting the formation of CTC clusters predicts patient survival in multiple cancer types. Thus, targeting of molecules involved in CTC heterotypic interactions might be a valuable strategy for the treatment of metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian M. Rozenberg
- Laboratory of Translational Bioinformatics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Anton A. Buzdin
- Laboratory of Translational Bioinformatics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- PathoBiology Group, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Brussels, Belgium
- Group for Genomic Analysis of Cell Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory for Clinical Genomic Bioinformatics, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- *Correspondence: Anton Buzdin,
| | - Tharaa Mohammad
- Laboratory of Translational Bioinformatics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Olga A. Rakitina
- Gene Immunooncotherapy Group, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry A. Didych
- Laboratory of human genes structure and functions, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor V. Pleshkan
- Gene Immunooncotherapy Group, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Gene oncotherapy sector, Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre (Kurchatov Institute), Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina V. Alekseenko
- Gene Immunooncotherapy Group, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Gene oncotherapy sector, Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre (Kurchatov Institute), Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Oncogynecology and Mammology, National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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Cai M, He H, Hong S, Weng J. Synergistic diagnostic value of circulating tumor cells and tumor markers CEA/CA19-9 in colorectal cancer. Scand J Gastroenterol 2023; 58:54-60. [PMID: 35968572 DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2022.2106152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulation tumor cells (CTCs) play a crucial role in cancer spread and have a strong correlation with cancer progression. Previous works of research have shown that the number of CTCs can be used to predict the recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS In this study, we used the Cyttel method to isolate and detect CTCs, and analyzed their correlation with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels. RESULTS We found that the amount and positive (CTC number ≥2 in 3.2 mL peripheral blood) rate of CTCs were higher in peripheral blood (PB) of patients in stage III/IV than that of patients in stage I/II, suggesting the number of CTCs in CRC patients may have a higher correlation with metastasis. Furthermore, the number of CTCs was correlated to CEA and CA19-9 levels in individuals with all stages of CRC, and all of them predicted a worse prognosis and higher recurrence rate. Notably, triple positive (CTCs ≥ 2, CEA ≥ 5 ng/mL, CA19-9 ≥ 37 U/mL in PB) leads to the worst outcome indicated by overall survival and recurrence rate. CONCLUSION Taken together, this study first revealed that a triple combination of CTCs, which were detected by the Cyttel method but not other approaches, CEA and CA19-9 is a promising prognostic marker on the recurrence of colorectal cancer and overall survival in clinic practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Cai
- Department of General Surgery, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Huiduan He
- Department of Pathology, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Shaojun Hong
- Department of Pathology, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Jianming Weng
- Department of Pathology, ZhangZhou Affiliated Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Fujian, China
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Fusion Cell Markers in Circulating Tumor Cells from Patients with High-Grade Ovarian Serous Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314687. [PMID: 36499015 PMCID: PMC9740150 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314687] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is primarily a disease in which late diagnosis is linked to poor prognosis, and unfortunately, detection and management are still challenging. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a potential resource to address this disease. Cell fusion, an event discovered recently in CTCs expressing carcinoma and leukocyte markers, occurs when ≥2 cells become a single entity (hybrid cell) after the merging of their plasma membranes. Cell fusion is still poorly understood despite continuous evaluations in in vitro/in vivo studies. Blood samples from 14 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil) were collected with the aim to analyze the CTCs/hybrid cells and their correlation to clinical outcome. The EDTA collected blood (6 mL) from patients was used to isolate/identify CTCs/hybrid cells by ISET. We used markers with possible correlation with the phenomenon of cell fusion, such as MC1-R, EpCAM and CD45, as well as CEN8 expression by CISH analysis. Samples were collected at three timepoints: baseline, after one month (first follow-up) and after three months (second follow-up) of treatment with olaparib (total sample = 38). Fourteen patients were included and in baseline and first follow-up all patients showed at least one CTC. We found expression of MC1-R, EpCAM and CD45 in cells (hybrid) in at least one of the collection moments. Membrane staining with CD45 was found in CTCs from the other cohort, from the other center, evaluated by the CellSearch® system. The presence of circulating tumor microemboli (CTM) in the first follow-up was associated with a poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) (5.2 vs. 12.2 months; p = 0.005). The MC1-R expression in CTM in the first and second follow-ups was associated with a shorter RFS (p = 0.005). CEN8 expression in CTCs was also related to shorter RFS (p = 0.035). Our study identified a high prevalence of CTCs in ovarian cancer patients, as well as hybrid cells. Both cell subtypes demonstrate utility in prognosis and in the assessment of response to treatment. In addition, the expression of MC1-R and EpCAM in hybrid cells brings new perspectives as a possible marker for this phenomenon in ovarian cancer.
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Wang L, Zhang G, Shen J, Shen Y, Cai G. Elevated CEA and CA 19-9 Levels within the Normal Ranges Increase the Likelihood of CRC Recurrence in the Chinese Han Population. Appl Bionics Biomech 2022; 2022:8666724. [PMID: 36245936 PMCID: PMC9553675 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8666724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to determine if variations in the expression profiles of CA 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) within the reference range could serve as possible biomarkers for postoperative CRC recurrence. Method This retrospective cohort investigation enrolled 2,596 cases of CRC that received curative surgery. Serum CEA/CA 19-9 were measured through chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Results During follow-up (median follow-up = 5.2 years), in total, 837 patients experienced recurrence. The fully adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were significantly higher, ≥1 standard deviation (±SD), in patients with upregulated CEA/CA 19-9 levels (HRCEA = 7.06; HRCA 19 - 9 = 3.98) than in those with downregulated CEA/CA 19-9 levels. The likelihood of recurrence remained consistently greater in cases of elevated CEA/CA 19-9 levels during sensitivity analyses. Conclusions The findings of this analysis showed that variations in CEA/CA 19-9 expression profiles within the reference range impact CRC recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lujia Wang
- Department of Anus and Intestine, Hangzhou Ninth People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
| | - Guangkai Zhang
- Department of Anus and Intestine, Hangzhou Ninth People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
| | - Jiafeng Shen
- Department of Anus and Intestine, Hangzhou Ninth People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
| | - Yujiang Shen
- Department of Anus and Intestine, Hangzhou Ninth People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
| | - Guojun Cai
- Department of Anus and Intestine, Hangzhou Ninth People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
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Wu M, Huang Y, Zhou Y, Zhao H, Lan Y, Yu Z, Jia C, Cong H, Zhao J. The Discovery of Novel Circulating Cancer-Related Cells in Circulation Poses New Challenges to Microfluidic Devices for Enrichment and Detection. SMALL METHODS 2022; 6:e2200226. [PMID: 35595707 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202200226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enumeration has been widely used as a surrogate predictive marker for early diagnoses, the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy, and cancer prognosis. Microfluidic technologies for CTCs enrichment and detection have been developed and commercialized as automation platforms. Currently, in addition to CTCs, some new types of circulating cancer-related cells (e.g., CCSCs, CTECs, CAMLs, and heterotypic CTC clusters) in circulation are also reported to be correlated to cancer diagnosis, metastasis, or prognosis. And they widely differ from the conventional CTCs in positive markers, cellular morphology, or size, which presents a new technological challenge to microfluidic devices that use affinity-based capture methods or size-based filtration methods for CTCs detection. This review focuses on the biological and physical properties as well as clinical significance of the novel circulating cancer-related cells, and discusses the challenges of their discovery to microfluidic chip for enrichment. Finally, the current challenges of CTCs detection in clinical application and future opportunities are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuhang Huang
- Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuwei Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhibin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chunping Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hui Cong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Jianlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Hao YJ, Yang CY, Chen MH, Chang LW, Lin CP, Lo LC, Huang SC, Lyu YY, Jiang JK, Tseng FG. Potential Values of Circulating microRNA-21 to Predict Early Recurrence in Patients with Colorectal Cancer after Treatments. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11092400. [PMID: 35566526 PMCID: PMC9100254 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11092400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Insufficient prognosis of local recurrence contributes to the poor progression-free survival rate and death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Various biomarkers have been explored in predicting CRC recurrence. This study investigated the expressions of plasma/exosomal microRNA-21 (miR-21) in 113 CRC patients by qPCR, their values of predicting CRC recurrence, and the possibility to improve the prognostic efficacy in early CRC recurrence in stratified patients by combined biomarkers including circulating miR-21s, circulating tumour cells/microemboli (CTCs/CTM), and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)/carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). Expressions of plasma and exosomal miR-21s were significantly correlated (p < 0.0001) in all and late-stage patients, presenting similar correlations with other biomarkers. However, stage IV patients stratified by a high level of exosomal miR-21 and stage I to III patients stratified by a high level of plasma miR-21 displayed significantly worse survival outcomes in predicting CRC recurrence, suggesting their different values to predict CRC recurrence in stratified patients. Comparable and even better performances in predicting CRC recurrence in late-stage patients were found by CTCs/CTM from our blood samples as sensitive biomarkers. Improved prognosing efficacy in CRC recurrence and better outcomes to significantly differentiate recurrence in stratified patients could be obtained by analysing combined biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Jie Hao
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; (Y.-J.H.); (M.-H.C.); (L.-W.C.)
- School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Chih-Yung Yang
- Department of Teaching and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei 10341, Taiwan;
- Commission for General Education, National United University, Miaoli 36003, Taiwan
- General Education Center, University of Taipei, Taipei 110014, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hsien Chen
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; (Y.-J.H.); (M.-H.C.); (L.-W.C.)
| | - Lu-Wey Chang
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; (Y.-J.H.); (M.-H.C.); (L.-W.C.)
| | - Chien-Ping Lin
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; (C.-P.L.); (L.-C.L.); (Y.-Y.L.)
| | - Liang-Chuan Lo
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; (C.-P.L.); (L.-C.L.); (Y.-Y.L.)
| | - Sheng-Chieh Huang
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan;
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - You-You Lyu
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; (C.-P.L.); (L.-C.L.); (Y.-Y.L.)
| | - Jeng-Kai Jiang
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan;
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (J.-K.J.); (F.-G.T.); Tel.: +886-3-571-5131 (ext. 34270) (F.-G.T.)
| | - Fan-Gang Tseng
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; (Y.-J.H.); (M.-H.C.); (L.-W.C.)
- Department of Engineering and System Science, Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd., Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (J.-K.J.); (F.-G.T.); Tel.: +886-3-571-5131 (ext. 34270) (F.-G.T.)
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Circulating Tumor Cell Kinetics and Morphology from the Liquid Biopsy Predict Disease Progression in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Following Resection. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030642. [PMID: 35158910 PMCID: PMC8833610 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary As a minimally invasive procedure, the liquid biopsy enables the longitudinal evaluation of a patient’s disease and response to treatment. Current clinical practice stratifies patient status based on a uniform threshold for circulating tumor cell (CTC) positivity, overlooking various cell subtypes and timepoints of sample collection. In a disease known for its tumor heterogeneity, we investigated colorectal cancer patients’ peripheral blood samples to determine whether the prevalence of morphologically distinct CTC subtypes and time-points of sample collection correlate with clinical disease hallmarks and survival data. Our results highlight nuances between the CTC subtypes’ clinical and survival significance. Furthermore, we found that time-point-conscious cell enumeration is critical, both for determining CTC positivity and the change in cell populations over time. To improve its clinical utility moving forward, we suggest that liquid biopsy analysis integrates morphology and time-based analysis alongside standard CTC enumeration at various stages of a patient’s treatment. Abstract The liquid biopsy has the potential to improve current clinical practice in oncology by providing real-time personalized information about a patient’s disease status and response to treatment. In this study, we evaluated 161 peripheral blood (PB) samples that were collected around surgical resection from 47 metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients using the High-Definition Single Cell Assay (HDSCA) workflow. In conjunction with the standard circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration, cellular morphology and kinetics between time-points of collection were considered in the survival analysis. CTCs, CTC-Apoptotic, and CTC clusters were found to indicate poor survival with an increase in cell count from pre-resection to post-resection. This study demonstrates that CTC subcategorization based on morphological differences leads to nuanced results between the subtypes, emphasizing the heterogeneity within the CTC classification. Furthermore, we show that factoring in the time-point of each blood collection is critical, both for its static enumeration and for the change in cell populations between draws. By integrating morphology and time-based analysis alongside standard CTC enumeration, liquid biopsy platforms can provide greater insight into the pathophysiology of mCRC by highlighting the complexity of the disease across a patient’s treatment.
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13
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Ruiz-Rodríguez AJ, Molina-Vallejo MP, Aznar-Peralta I, González Puga C, Cañas García I, González E, Lorente JA, Serrano MJ, Garrido-Navas MC. Deep Phenotypic Characterisation of CTCs by Combination of Microfluidic Isolation (IsoFlux) and Imaging Flow Cytometry (ImageStream). Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246386. [PMID: 34945008 PMCID: PMC8699219 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cells that escape the primary tumour and have the potential ability to colonise distant organs through metastasis are called circulating tumour cells (CTCs). The study of CTCs in colorectal cancer (CRC) has demonstrated their prognostic utility, although current methodologies only allow the evaluation of CTC numbers and a maximum of two markers. Here, we developed a novel protocol for the isolation and characterisation of CTCs by combining two existing technologies. This new methodology allows the simultaneous evaluation of multiple markers and parameters. In particular, we evaluated the expression of a mutant protein (BRAFV600E) associated with poor response to therapies against EGFR and the expression of PD-L1, a marker for immunotherapy. Based on these markers, we evaluated the CTCs (positive for cytokeratin) of 16 early CRC patients and demonstrated the suitability of our protocol to classify patients into potential responders and non-responders. Abstract The isolation of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) mostly relies on the expression of epithelial markers such as EpCAM, and phenotypic characterisation is usually performed under fluorescence microscopy with only one or two additional markers. This limits the ability to detect different CTC subpopulations based on multiple markers. The aim of this work was to develop a novel protocol combining two platforms (IsoFluxTM and ImageStream®X) to improve CTC evaluation. Cancer cell lines and peripheral blood from healthy donors were used to evaluate the efficiency of each platform independently and in combination. Peripheral blood was extracted from 16 early CRC patients (before loco-regional surgery) to demonstrate the suitability of the protocol for CTC assessment. Additionally, peripheral blood was extracted from nine patients one month after surgery to validate the utility of our protocol for identifying CTC subpopulation changes over time. Results: Our protocol had a mean recovery efficiency of 69.5% and a limit of detection of at least four cells per millilitre. We developed an analysis method to reduce noise from magnetic beads used for CTC isolation. CTCs were isolated from CRC patients with a median of 37 CTCs (IQ 13.0–85.5) at baseline. CTCs from CRC patients were significantly (p < 0.0001) larger than cytokeratin (CK)-negative cells, and patients were stratified into two groups based on BRAFV600E and PD-L1 expression on CK-positive cells. The changes observed over time included not only the number of CTCs but also their distribution into four different subpopulations defined according to BRAFV600E and PD-L1 positivity. We developed a novel protocol for semi-automatic CTC isolation and phenotypic characterisation by combining two platforms. Assessment of CTCs from early CRC patients using our protocol allowed the identification of two clusters of patients with changing phenotypes over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J. Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Clinical Management Unit of Digestive Disease, San Cecilio University Hospital, 18016 Granada, Spain;
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (M.P.M.-V.); (I.A.-P.); (J.A.L.)
| | - Maria P. Molina-Vallejo
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (M.P.M.-V.); (I.A.-P.); (J.A.L.)
| | - Inés Aznar-Peralta
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (M.P.M.-V.); (I.A.-P.); (J.A.L.)
- Legal Medicine Department, Medicine School, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Cristina González Puga
- Clinical Management Unit of Surgery, San Cecilio University Hospital, 18016 Granada, Spain; (C.G.P.); (I.C.G.)
| | - Inés Cañas García
- Clinical Management Unit of Surgery, San Cecilio University Hospital, 18016 Granada, Spain; (C.G.P.); (I.C.G.)
| | - Encarna González
- Clinical Management Unit of Oncology, University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, 18014 Granada, Spain;
| | - Jose A. Lorente
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (M.P.M.-V.); (I.A.-P.); (J.A.L.)
- Legal Medicine Department, Medicine School, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - M. Jose Serrano
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (M.P.M.-V.); (I.A.-P.); (J.A.L.)
- Medical Oncology Department, Bio-Health Research Institute (IBS, Granada), University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, University of Granada, 18012 Granada, Spain
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.J.S.); (M.C.G.-N.); Tel.: +34-958715500 (ext. 123) (M.J.S.); +34-958715500 (ext. 208) (M.C.G.-N.)
| | - M. Carmen Garrido-Navas
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (M.P.M.-V.); (I.A.-P.); (J.A.L.)
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.J.S.); (M.C.G.-N.); Tel.: +34-958715500 (ext. 123) (M.J.S.); +34-958715500 (ext. 208) (M.C.G.-N.)
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14
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Stemness, Inflammation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Colorectal Carcinoma: The Intricate Network. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312891. [PMID: 34884696 PMCID: PMC8658015 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312891] [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: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In global cancer statistics, colorectal carcinoma (CRC) ranks third by incidence and second by mortality, causing 10.0% of new cancer cases and 9.4% of oncological deaths worldwide. Despite the development of screening programs and preventive measures, there are still high numbers of advanced cases. Multiple problems compromise the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, one of these being cancer stem cells—a minor fraction of pluripotent, self-renewing malignant cells capable of maintaining steady, low proliferation and exhibiting an intriguing arsenal of treatment resistance mechanisms. Currently, there is an increasing body of evidence for intricate associations between inflammation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cells. In this review, we focus on inflammation and its role in CRC stemness development through epithelial–mesenchymal transition.
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