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Xu J, Zhao Y, Chen Z, Wei L. Clinical Application of Different Liquid Biopsy Components in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Pers Med 2024; 14:420. [PMID: 38673047 PMCID: PMC11051574 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14040420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer, usually occurring in the background of chronic liver disease. HCC lethality rate is in the third highest place in the world. Patients with HCC have concealed early symptoms and possess a high-level of heterogeneity. Once diagnosed, most of the tumors are in advanced stages and have a poor prognosis. The sensitivity and specificity of existing detection modalities and protocols are suboptimal. HCC calls for more sophisticated and individualized therapeutic regimens. Liquid biopsy is non-invasive, repeatable, unaffected by location, and can be monitored dynamically. It has emerged as a useable aid in achieving precision malignant tumor treatment. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating nucleic acids, exosomes and tumor-educated platelets are the commonest components of a liquid biopsy. It possesses the theoretical ability to conquer the high heterogeneity and the difficulty of early detection for HCC patients. In this review, we summarize the common enrichment techniques and the clinical applications in HCC for different liquid biopsy components. Tumor recurrence after HCC-related liver transplantation is more insidious and difficult to treat. The clinical use of liquid biopsy in HCC-related liver transplantation is also summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lai Wei
- Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430030, China; (J.X.); (Y.Z.); (Z.C.)
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2
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Salehi M, Lavasani ZM, Keshavarz Alikhani H, Shokouhian B, Hassan M, Najimi M, Vosough M. Circulating Tumor Cells as a Promising Tool for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cells 2023; 12:2260. [PMID: 37759483 PMCID: PMC10527869 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is a significant contributor to the cancer burden, and its incidence rates have recently increased in almost all countries. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Because of the late diagnosis and lack of efficient therapeutic modality for advanced stages of HCC, the death rate continues to increase by ~2-3% per year. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are promising tools for early diagnosis, precise prognosis, and follow-up of therapeutic responses. They can be considered to be an innovative biomarker for the early detection of tumors and targeted molecular therapy. In this review, we briefly discuss the novel materials and technologies applied for the practical isolation and detection of CTCs in HCC. Also, the clinical value of CTC detection in HCC is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Salehi
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran; (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Zohre Miri Lavasani
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1983969411, Iran;
| | - Hani Keshavarz Alikhani
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran; (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Bahare Shokouhian
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran; (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Moustapha Hassan
- Experimental Cancer Medicine, Institution for Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Mustapha Najimi
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Massoud Vosough
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran; (M.S.); (B.S.)
- Experimental Cancer Medicine, Institution for Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden;
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Zhou Z, Xu X, Liu Y, Liu Q, Zhang W, Wang K, Wang J, Yin Y. Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2695:213-225. [PMID: 37450121 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3346-5_14] [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: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most deadly neoplasms with a poor prognosis. Due to the significant tumor heterogeneity of HCC, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) or liver biopsy has not yet met the clinical needs in terms of early diagnosis or determining prognosis. In recent years, liquid biopsy techniques that analyze tumor by-products released into the circulation have shown great potential. Its ability to monitor tumors in real time and respond to their global characteristics is expected to improve the management of HCC patients clinically. This review discusses some of the findings of a liquid biopsy in terms of diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheyu Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoliang Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiaoyu Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Jincheng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Yin Yin
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Ding J, Zhao W. The Application of Liquid Biopsy Techniques in High-Risk Population for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:2735-2748. [PMID: 36133739 PMCID: PMC9484767 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s373165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system and has a 5-year overall survival rate of 14.1%. Many HCC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and thus early screening is essential for reducing the mortality of HCC. In addition to commonly used detection indicators such as serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) and abnormal prothrombin (protein induced by vitamin K absence II, PIVKA-II), liquid biopsy techniques have been demonstrated to have diagnostic value in HCC detection. Compared with invasive procedures, liquid biopsy can detect circulatory metabolites of malignant neoplasms. Liquid biopsy techniques can detect circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, circulating RNA and exosomes and have been used in the early screening, diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of HCC. This paper reviews the molecular biological characteristics and application of different liquid biopsy techniques, and aim to highlight promising biomarkers that may be feasible options for early-stage HCC evaluation to improve early screening in populations at high risk for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingnuo Ding
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, JiangSu Province, 215000, People's Republic of China
| | - Weifeng Zhao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, JiangSu Province, 215000, People's Republic of China
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Hua Y, Dong J, Hong J, Wang B, Yan Y, Li Z. Clinical applications of circulating tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:968591. [PMID: 36091119 PMCID: PMC9448983 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.968591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor and ranked as the fourth cause of cancer-related mortality. The poor clinical prognosis is due to an advanced stage and resistance to systemic treatment. There are no obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage and the early diagnosis rate remains low. Novel effective biomarkers are important for early diagnosis and tumor surveillance to improve the survival of HCC patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells shed from primary or metastatic tumor and extravasate into the blood system. The number of CTCs is closely related to the metastasis of various solid tumors. CTCs escape from blood vessels and settle in target organs, then form micro-metastasis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) plays a crucial role in distant metastasis, which confers strong invasiveness to CTCs. The fact that CTCs can provide complete cellular biological information, which allows CTCs to be one of the most promising liquid biopsy targets. Recent studies have shown that CTCs are good candidates for early diagnosis, prognosis evaluation of metastasis or recurrence, and even a potential therapeutic target in patients with HCC. It is a new indicator for clinical application in the future. In this review, we introduce the enrichment methods and mechanisms of CTCs, and focus on clinical application in patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinggang Hua
- Department of General Surgery, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingqing Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinsong Hong
- Department of General Surgery, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bailin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiming Li, ; Yong Yan,
| | - Zhiming Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiming Li, ; Yong Yan,
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Teng PC, Agopian VG, Lin TY, You S, Zhu Y, Tseng HR, Yang JD. Circulating tumor cells: A step toward precision medicine in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 37:1179-1190. [PMID: 35543075 PMCID: PMC9271591 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.15886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Serum alpha-fetoprotein and radiologic imaging are the most commonly used tests for early diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of treatment response in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the accuracy of these tests is limited, and they may not reflect the underlying biology of the tumor. Thus, developing highly accurate novel HCC biomarkers reflecting tumor biology is a clinically unmet need. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have long been proposed as a noninvasive biomarker in clinical oncology. Most CTC assays utilize immunoaffinity-based, size-based, and/or enrichment-free mechanisms followed by immunocytochemical staining to characterize CTCs. The prognostic value of HCC CTC enumeration has been extensively validated. Subsets of CTCs expressing mesenchymal markers are also reported to have clinical significance. In addition, researchers have been devoting their efforts to molecular characterizations of CTCs (e.g. genetics and transcriptomics) as molecular profiling can offer a more accurate readout and provide biological insights. As new molecular profiling techniques, such as digital polymerase chain reaction, are developed to detect minimal amounts of DNA/RNA, several research groups have established HCC CTC digital scoring systems to quantify clinically relevant gene panels. Given the versatility of CTCs to provide intact molecular and functional data that reflects the underlying tumor, CTCs have great potential as a noninvasive biomarker in HCC. Large-scale, prospective studies for HCC CTCs with a standardized protocol are necessary for successful clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pai-Chi Teng
- Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan,Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA,California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vatche G. Agopian
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ting-Yi Lin
- Doctoral Degree Program of Translational Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan,Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sungyong You
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yazhen Zhu
- California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hsian-Rong Tseng
- California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA,corresponding author (Dr. Ju Dong Yang):
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7
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Espejo-Cruz ML, González-Rubio S, Zamora-Olaya J, Amado-Torres V, Alejandre R, Sánchez-Frías M, Ciria R, De la Mata M, Rodríguez-Perálvarez M, Ferrín G. Circulating Tumor Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review and Critical Appraisal. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222313073. [PMID: 34884878 PMCID: PMC8657934 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common neoplasm and a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. There is no ideal biomarker allowing early diagnosis of HCC and tumor surveillance in patients receiving therapy. Liquid biopsy, and particularly circulating tumor cells (CTCs), have emerged as a useful tool for diagnosis and monitoring therapeutic responses in different tumors. In the present manuscript, we evaluate the current evidence supporting the quantitative and qualitative assessment of CTCs as potential biomarkers of HCC, as well as technical aspects related to isolation, identification, and classification of CTCs. Although the dynamic assessment of CTCs in patients with HCC may aid the decision-making process, there are still many uncertainties and technical caveats to be solved before this methodology has a true impact on clinical practice guidelines. More studies are needed to identify the optimal combination of surface markers, to increase the efficiency of ex-vivo expansion of CTCs, or even to target CTCs as a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent HCC recurrence after surgery or to hamper tumor progression and extrahepatic spreading.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Lola Espejo-Cruz
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
| | - Sandra González-Rubio
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
| | - Javier Zamora-Olaya
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Víctor Amado-Torres
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Rafael Alejandre
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Marina Sánchez-Frías
- Department of Pathology, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Rubén Ciria
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Reina Sofía University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Manuel De la Mata
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Rodríguez-Perálvarez
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Gustavo Ferrín
- Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (M.L.E.-C.); (S.G.-R.); (J.Z.-O.); (V.A.-T.); (R.A.); (R.C.); (M.D.l.M.); (G.F.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Carissimi F, Barbaglia MN, Salmi L, Ciulli C, Roccamatisi L, Cordaro G, Mallela VR, Minisini R, Leone BE, Donadon M, Torzilli G, Pirisi M, Romano F, Famularo S. Finding the seed of recurrence: Hepatocellular carcinoma circulating tumor cells and their potential to drive the surgical treatment. World J Gastrointest Surg 2021; 13:967-978. [PMID: 34621473 PMCID: PMC8462072 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v13.i9.967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) relies on liver resection, which is, however, burdened by a high rate of recurrence after surgery, up to 60% at 5 years. No pre-operative tools are currently available to assess the recurrence risk tailored to every single patient. Recently liquid biopsy has shown interesting results in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment allocation strategies in other types of cancers, since its ability to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs) derived from the primary tumor. Those cells were advocated to be responsible for the majority of cases of recurrence and cancer-related deaths for HCC. In fact, after being modified by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, CTCs circulate as “seeds” in peripheral blood, then reach the target organ as dormant cells which could be subsequently “awakened” and activated, and then initiate metastasis. Their presence may justify the disagreement registered in terms of efficacy of anatomic vs non-anatomic resections, particularly in the case of microvascular invasion, which has been recently pointed as a histological sign of the spread of those cells. Thus, their presence, also in the early stages, may justify the recurrence event also in the contest of liver transplant. Understanding the mechanism behind the tumor progression may allow improving the treatment selection according to the biological patient-based characteristics. Moreover, it may drive the development of novel biological tailored tests which could address a specific patient to neoadjuvant or adjuvant strategies, and in perspective, it could also become a new method to allocate organs for transplantation, according to the risk of relapse after liver transplant. The present paper will describe the most recent evidence on the role of CTCs in determining the relapse of HCC, highlighting their potential clinical implication as novel tumor behavior biomarkers able to influence the surgical choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Carissimi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | | | - Livia Salmi
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Cristina Ciulli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Linda Roccamatisi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cordaro
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Venkata Ramana Mallela
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Rosalba Minisini
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Biagio Eugenio Leone
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
- Unit of Pathology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Matteo Donadon
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele 20090, Italy
| | - Guido Torzilli
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele 20090, Italy
| | - Mario Pirisi
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Romano
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Simone Famularo
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele 20090, Italy
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Maravelia P, Silva DN, Rovesti G, Chrobok M, Stål P, Lu YC, Pasetto A. Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Opportunities and Challenges for Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4334. [PMID: 34503144 PMCID: PMC8431414 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174334] [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: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancer types worldwide. HCC is often diagnosed at a late stage when the therapeutic options are very limited. However, even at the earlier stages, the best treatment is liver transplantation, surgical resection or ablation. Surgical resection and ablation may carry a high risk of tumor recurrence. The recent introduction of immunotherapies resulted in clinical responses for a subgroup of patients, but there were still no effective predictive markers for response to immunotherapy or for recurrence after surgical therapy. The identification of biomarkers that could correlate and predict response or recurrence would require close monitoring of the patients throughout and after the completion of treatment. However, this would not be performed efficiently by repeated and invasive tissue biopsies. A better approach would be to use liquid biopsies including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating RNA (e.g., microRNAs), circulating tumor cells (CTC) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) (e.g., exosomes) for disease monitoring in a non-invasive manner. In this review, we discuss the currently available technology that can enable the use of liquid biopsy as a diagnostic and prognostic tool. Moreover, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of the clinical application of liquid biopsy for immunotherapy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota Maravelia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (D.N.S.); (G.R.); (M.C.)
| | - Daniela Nascimento Silva
- Department of Laboratory Medicine Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (D.N.S.); (G.R.); (M.C.)
| | - Giulia Rovesti
- Department of Laboratory Medicine Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (D.N.S.); (G.R.); (M.C.)
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children & Adults, University-Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy
| | - Michael Chrobok
- Department of Laboratory Medicine Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (D.N.S.); (G.R.); (M.C.)
| | - Per Stål
- Unit of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine/Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Upper GI Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, 14186 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Yong-Chen Lu
- Department of Pathology, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Anna Pasetto
- Department of Laboratory Medicine Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden; (D.N.S.); (G.R.); (M.C.)
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10
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Hu CL, Zhang YJ, Zhang XF, Fei X, Zhang H, Li CG, Sun B. 3D Culture of Circulating Tumor Cells for Evaluating Early Recurrence and Metastasis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:2673-2688. [PMID: 33888992 PMCID: PMC8057830 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s298427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are considered to be a key factor involved in tumor metastasis. However, the isolation and culture of CTCs in vitro remains challenging, and their clinical application for predicting prognosis and survival is still limited. The development of accurate evaluating system for CTCs will benefit for clinical assessment of HCC. Methods Density gradient centrifugation and magnetic separation based on CD45 antibody were used to isolate CTCs. 3D culture was used to maintain and amplify CTCs and HCC cells. Cellular immunofluorescence was used to identify CTCs and spheroids. The cutoff value of CTC spheroid was calculated using X-tile software. The relationship between clinicopathological variables and CTC spheroids in HCC patients is analyzed. In vivo models were used to evaluate tumor growth and metastasis of CTC spheroids. Results Patient-derived CTCs/HCC cells were isolated and expanded to form spheroids using 3D culture. CTC spheroids could be used to predict short-term recurrence of CTCs compared with conventional CTC enumeration. Different cell lines exhibited different formation rates and grew to different sizes. Identification of CTC spheroids revealed that EpCAM and β-catenin were expressed in spheroids derived from HCC cells and in the HCC/CTCs. EpCAM-positive HCC cells exhibited improved spheroid formation in 3D culture and were more tumorigenic and likely to metastasize to the lung in vivo. Abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was observed in EpCAM positive cells. Conclusion CTC spheroids could predict prognosis of HCC more precisely compared with conventional CTC enumeration. EpCAM may participate in the formation and survival of CTC spheroids which dependent on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong-Li Hu
- Translational Medicine Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.,Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center for Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Jun Zhang
- School of Health and Social Care, Shanghai Urban Construction Vocational College, Shanghai, 201415, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Feng Zhang
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center for Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Fei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201204, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Guang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital & National Center for Liver Cancer, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
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11
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Ahn JC, Teng PC, Chen PJ, Posadas E, Tseng HR, Lu SC, Yang JD. Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells and Their Implications as a Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognostication, and Therapeutic Monitoring in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Hepatology 2021; 73:422-436. [PMID: 32017145 PMCID: PMC8183673 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the leading causes of worldwide cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Poor prognosis of HCC is attributed primarily to tumor presentation at an advanced stage when there is no effective treatment to achieve the long term survival of patients. Currently available tests such as alpha-fetoprotein have limited accuracy as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker for HCC. Liver biopsy provides tissue that can reveal tumor biology but it is not used routinely due to its invasiveness and risk of tumor seeding, especially in early-stage patients. Liver biopsy is also limited in revealing comprehensive tumor biology due to intratumoral heterogeneity. There is a clear need for new biomarkers to improve HCC detection, prognostication, prediction of treatment response, and disease monitoring with treatment. Liquid biopsy could be an effective method of early detection and management of HCC. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells in circulation derived from the original tumor or metastatic foci, and their measurement by liquid biopsy represents a great potential in facilitating the implementation of precision medicine in patients with HCC. CTCs can be detected by a simple peripheral blood draw and potentially show global features of tumor characteristics. Various CTC detection platforms using immunoaffinity and biophysical properties have been developed to identify and capture CTCs with high efficiency. Quantitative abundance of CTCs, as well as biological characteristics and genomic heterogeneity among the CTCs, can predict disease prognosis and response to therapy in patients with HCC. This review article will discuss the currently available technologies for CTC detection and isolation, their utility in the clinical management of HCC patients, their limitations, and future directions of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C Ahn
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55904, United States
| | - Pai-Chi Teng
- Urologic Oncology Program and Uro-Oncology Research Laboratories, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
| | - Pin-Jung Chen
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Edwin Posadas
- Urologic Oncology Program and Uro-Oncology Research Laboratories, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States,Translational Oncology Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
| | - Hsian-Rong Tseng
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Shelly C. Lu
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States,Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States,Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States,Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
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12
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Cui K, Ou Y, Shen Y, Li S, Sun Z. Clinical value of circulating tumor cells for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e22242. [PMID: 33019399 PMCID: PMC7535562 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000022242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To evaluate the clinical value of circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection in peripheral blood for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Public databases were searched, and a meta-analysis was performed to determine the specificity, sensitivity, negative- likelihood ratio (NLR) and positive-likelihood ratio (PLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (dOR) of CTC detection for the diagnosis of HCC. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed for the association of CTC detection with overall survival (OS) and HCC recurrence. The Meta-DiSc 1.4 and Review Manager 5.2 software programs were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Meta-analysis of 20 studies including 1191 patients showed that the specificity, sensitivity, NLR, PLR, and dOR of CTC testing for HCC diagnosis were 0.60 (95% CI = 0.57-0.63), 0.95 (95%CI = 0.93-0.96), 0.36 (95%CI = 0.28-0.48), 11.64 (95%CI = 5.85-23.14), and 38.94 (95%CI = 18.33-82.75), respectively. Meta-analysis of 18 studies including 1466 patients indicated that the OS of CTC-positive HCC patients was less than that of CTC-negative patients (HR = 2.31; 95% CI = 1.55-3.42; P < .01). Meta-analysis of 5 studies including 339 patients revealed that the presence of CTCs in peripheral blood significantly increased the risk of HCC recurrence (HR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.89-4.86; P < .01). CONCLUSION CTCs in peripheral blood may be a useful marker for HCC diagnosis. In addition, the prognosis of CTC-positive HCC patients was significantly worse than that of CTC-negative HCC patients. Therefore, further studies are warranted to confirm the clinical potential of CTC detection in peripheral blood in patients with primary HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Cui
- Shandong Cancer Hospital affiliated to Shandong University
- Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
| | - Yang Ou
- Shandong Cancer Hospital affiliated to Shandong University
- Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
| | - Yangyang Shen
- Shandong Cancer Hospital affiliated to Shandong University
- Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
| | - Sheng Li
- Shandong Cancer Hospital affiliated to Shandong University
- Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences
| | - Ziqiang Sun
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College, Ji’ning, Shandong, People's Republic of China
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13
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Ahrens TD, Bang-Christensen SR, Jørgensen AM, Løppke C, Spliid CB, Sand NT, Clausen TM, Salanti A, Agerbæk MØ. The Role of Proteoglycans in Cancer Metastasis and Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:749. [PMID: 32984308 PMCID: PMC7479181 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are accessible by liquid biopsies via an easy blood draw. They represent not only the primary tumor site, but also potential metastatic lesions, and could thus be an attractive supplement for cancer diagnostics. However, the analysis of rare CTCs in billions of normal blood cells is still technically challenging and novel specific CTC markers are needed. The formation of metastasis is a complex process supported by numerous molecular alterations, and thus novel CTC markers might be found by focusing on this process. One example of this is specific changes in the cancer cell glycocalyx, which is a network on the cell surface composed of carbohydrate structures. Proteoglycans are important glycocalyx components and consist of a protein core and covalently attached long glycosaminoglycan chains. A few CTC assays have already utilized proteoglycans for both enrichment and analysis of CTCs. Nonetheless, the biological function of proteoglycans on clinical CTCs has not been studied in detail so far. Therefore, the present review describes proteoglycan functions during the metastatic cascade to highlight their importance to CTCs. We also outline current approaches for CTC assays based on targeting proteoglycans by their protein cores or their glycosaminoglycan chains. Lastly, we briefly discuss important technical aspects, which should be considered for studying proteoglycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa D. Ahrens
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sara R. Bang-Christensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VarCT Diagnostics, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Caroline Løppke
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Charlotte B. Spliid
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicolai T. Sand
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas M. Clausen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Ali Salanti
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Ø. Agerbæk
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VarCT Diagnostics, Copenhagen, Denmark
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14
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The Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Real-Time Monitoring and Moving Targets for Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071734. [PMID: 32610709 PMCID: PMC7408113 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is ranked as the sixth most common cancer around the world. With the emergence of the state-of-the-art modalities lately, such as liver transplantation, image-guided ablation, and chemoembolization, the death rate is still high due to high metastasis rate after therapy. Observation by biannual ultrasonography allows effective diagnosis at an early stage for candidates with no extrahepatic metastasis, but its effectiveness still remains unsatisfactory. Developing a new test with improved effectiveness and specificity is urgently needed for HCC diagnosis, especially for patients after first line therapy. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a small sub-population of tumor cells in human peripheral blood, they release from the primary tumor and invade into the blood circulatory system, thereby residing into the distal tissues and survive. As CTCs have specific and aggressive properties, they can evade from immune defenses, induce gene alterations, and modulate signal transductions. Ultimately, CTCs can manipulate tumor behaviors and patient reactions to anti-tumor treatment. Given the fact that in HCC blood is present around the immediate vicinity of the tumor, which allows thousands of CTCs to release into the blood circulation daily, so CTCs are considered to be the main cause for HCC occurrence, and are also a pivotal factor for HCC prognosis. In this review, we highlight the characteristics and enrichment strategies of CTCs, and focus on the use of CTCs for tumor evaluation and management in patients with HCC.
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15
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Kim Y, Jo M, Schmidt J, Luo X, Prakash TP, Zhou T, Klein S, Xiao X, Post N, Yin Z, MacLeod AR. Enhanced Potency of GalNAc-Conjugated Antisense Oligonucleotides in Hepatocellular Cancer Models. Mol Ther 2019; 27:1547-1557. [PMID: 31303442 PMCID: PMC6731179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are a novel therapeutic approach to target difficult-to-drug protein classes by targeting their corresponding mRNAs. Significantly enhanced ASO activity has been achieved by the targeted delivery of ASOs to selected tissues. One example is the targeted delivery of ASOs to hepatocytes, achieved with N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) conjugation to ASO, which results in selective uptake by asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR). Here we have evaluated the potential of GalNAc-conjugated ASOs as a therapeutic approach to targeting difficult-to-drug pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The activity of GalNAc-conjugated ASOs was superior to that of the unconjugated parental ASO in ASGR (+) human HCC cells in vitro, but not in ASGR (-) cells. Both human- and mouse-derived HCC displayed reduced levels of ASGR, however, despite this, GalNAc-conjugated ASOs showed a 5- to 10-fold increase in potency in tumors. Systemically administered GalNAc-conjugated ASOs demonstrated both enhanced antisense activity and antitumor activity in the diethylnitrosamine-induced HCC tumor model. Finally, GalNAc conjugation enhanced ASO activity in human circulating tumor cells from HCC patients, demonstrating the potential of this approach in primary human HCC tumor cells. Taken together, these results provide a strong rationale for a potential therapeutic use of GalNAc-conjugated ASOs for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngsoo Kim
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA.
| | - Minji Jo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Joanna Schmidt
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Thazha P Prakash
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Stephanie Klein
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Xiaokun Xiao
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Noah Post
- Department of Pharmacokinetics, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Zhengfeng Yin
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - A Robert MacLeod
- Department of Antisense Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA.
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16
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Li J, Han X, Yu X, Xu Z, Yang G, Liu B, Xiu P. Clinical applications of liquid biopsy as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma: circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2018; 37:213. [PMID: 30176913 PMCID: PMC6122633 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-018-0893-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant disease with a poor prognosis and high mortality due to a low early diagnosis rate, resistance to systemic treatments and progression to late-stage liver disease. Owing to limitations in the detection of HCC and the lack of awareness of healthcare systems, fewer than 40% of HCC patients are eligible for surgery due to advanced stages of the disease at the time of diagnosis and the occurrence of multiple lesions in the cirrhotic or fibrotic liver. At present, the updated American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) guidelines no longer recommend alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing as a part of diagnostic evaluation. Thus, it is imperative to establish a novel diagnostic strategy with high sensitivity and reliability to monitor risk factors to detect HCC at an early stage. In recent years, “liquid biopsy,” (including circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)), has emerged as a technique for the characterization of circulating cells, providing a strong basis for the individualized treatment of patients. As a noninvasive detection method, liquid biopsy is expected to play an important role in the early diagnosis, dynamic monitoring of cancer patients and drug screening. In this review, we will focus on the clinical applications, recent studies and future prospects of liquid biopsy, particularly focusing on HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Xu Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, 255000, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaona Yu
- Department of General Medicine, Weifang Rongfu Military Hospital, Weifang, 261000, Shandong, China
| | - Zongzhen Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Guangsheng Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Bingqi Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Peng Xiu
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China.
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17
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Sun B, Hu C, Yang Z, Zhang X, Zhao L, Xiong J, Ma J, Chen L, Qian H, Luo X, Shi L, Li J, Cheng X, Yin Z. Midkine promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by elevating anoikis resistance of circulating tumor cells. Oncotarget 2018; 8:32523-32535. [PMID: 28430645 PMCID: PMC5464806 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Midkine is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and plays a role in tumor progression, but less is known about its role in resistance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to anoikis which leading to recurrence and metastasis. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether midkine was associated with HCC progression with anoikis resistance. We found that cultured HCC cells were more resistant to anoikis, which paralleled midkine expression, and midkine treatment significantly inhibited anoikis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, in in vitro and in vivo assays, knockdown of midkine resulted in significant sensitivity to anoikis, decreased cell survival and significantly decreased tumor occurrence rate. Patients with midkine-elevated HCC had higher CTC counts and less apoptotic CTCs, as well as significantly higher recurrence rate and shorter recurrence-free interval. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying the midkine with HCC progression, we performed in vitro and in vivo studies. We found that midkine plays an important role in enhancement of HCC cell resistance to anoikis, thereby promoting subsequent metastasis. Activation of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB/TrkB signaling by midkine-activated anaplastic lymphomakinase (ALK) is responsible for anoikis resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Congli Hu
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhibin Yang
- Colorectal Cancer Clinical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linlin Zhao
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junye Xiong
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyong Ma
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haihua Qian
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangji Luo
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lehua Shi
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Li
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianshuo Cheng
- Colorectal Cancer Clinical Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhengfeng Yin
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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18
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Xia Z, He J, Li B, He K, Yang W, Chen X, Zhang J, Xiang G. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles induce mitochondria-associated apoptosis in HepG2 cells. RSC Adv 2018; 8:31764-31776. [PMID: 35548213 PMCID: PMC9085782 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra05132a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Widespread applications of nanosized materials over the past decade have prompted investigations of desirable properties and potential hazards to humans and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenglin Xia
- Department of General Surgery
- Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- People's Republic of China
| | - Jingliang He
- Shunde Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine
- Foshan 528300
- People's Republic of China
| | - Bowei Li
- Department of General Surgery
- Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- People's Republic of China
| | - Ke He
- Department of General Surgery
- Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbing Yang
- Department of General Surgery
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University
- Xi'an 710004
- People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxun Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery
- The Guigang City People's Hospital
- Guigang
- People's Republic of China
| | - Jinqian Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine
- Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- People's Republic of China
| | - Guoan Xiang
- Department of General Surgery
- Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- People's Republic of China
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19
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Abstract
This review by Micalizzi et al. discusses advances in analysis and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with cancer. It focuses on the current knowledge of CTC biology and the potential clinical implications. Advances in the enrichment and analysis of rare cells from the bloodstream have allowed for detection and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with cancer. The analysis of CTCs has provided significant insight into the metastatic process. Studies on the biology of CTCs have begun to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CTC generation, intravasation, survival, interactions with components of the blood, extravasation, and colonization of distant organs. Additionally, the study of CTCs has exposed dramatic intrapatient and interpatient heterogeneity and their evolution over time. In this review, we focus on the current knowledge of CTC biology and the potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S Micalizzi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, USA.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Shyamala Maheswaran
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, USA.,Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Daniel A Haber
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, USA.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
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20
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Sun C, Liao W, Deng Z, Li E, Feng Q, Lei J, Yuan R, Zou S, Mao Y, Shao J, Wu L, Zhang C. The diagnostic value of assays for circulating tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017; 96:e7513. [PMID: 28723763 PMCID: PMC5521903 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000007513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are considered potential biomarkers for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Many studies have attempted to explore this role, but the results are variable. We conducted the first comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of CTC assay for HCC patients. Additional prognostic value was also assessed. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN All articles included in our study were assessed using QUADAS guidelines after a literature search. Using bivariate generalized linear mixed model and random-effects model, effect measures such as pooled sensitivity/specificity, positive likelihood ratios/negative likelihood ratios (NLRs), diagnostic odds ratios, hazard ratios (HRs), risk ratios, and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. We used receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve (AUC) to summarize overall test performance. Heterogeneity, publication bias, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS A total of 2256 subjects including 998 HCC patients in 20 studies were recruited in this meta-analysis. Although the overall diagnostic accuracy of the CTC assay was high (AUC 0.93, 95% CI: [0.90-0.95]), there was a high probability of error rate (NLR 0.33, 95% CI: [0.23, 0.48]). The results were more robust when nonmagnetic-activated isolation was used, compared with magnetic-activated isolation subgroup (NLR: 0.18 vs. 0.41; z = 2.118, P = .034). CTCs positivity was significantly associated with relapse-free survival (HR 2.417, 95% CI: [1.421-3.250]; P < .001), overall survival (HR 3.59, 95% CI: [1.984-6.495]; P < .001), and some clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION CTC assay is not recommended as an independent HCC diagnostic tool, but is associated with poor clinicopathologic characteristics of HCC patients and could indicate poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Sun
- Department of Nursing, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
| | - Wenjun Liao
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Zefu Deng
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Enliang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Qian Feng
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Jun Lei
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Rongfa Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Shubing Zou
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Yilei Mao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianghua Shao
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Linquan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Nursing, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
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21
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Micalizzi DS, Haber DA, Maheswaran S. Cancer metastasis through the prism of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in circulating tumor cells. Mol Oncol 2017; 11:770-780. [PMID: 28544498 PMCID: PMC5496489 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis of epithelial cancer cells to distant sites is a particularly critical stage of cancer progression that typically marks the incurability of the disease. It is governed by a complex series of events including invasion and intravasation of tumor cells into the stroma and blood, respectively. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a phenotypic change marked by the loss of epithelial characteristics and the acquisition of invasive mesenchymal properties, is implicated in the dissemination of tumor cells. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the precursors of metastasis, can be used to interrogate the contribution of EMT in metastasis and therapeutic responses. The analysis of these CTCs and in particular the presence of inter- and intrapatient heterogeneity for markers of EMT has provided new insights into the metastatic process. This review will focus on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in CTCs and its potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S. Micalizzi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer CenterHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMAUSA
- Department of MedicineHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMAUSA
| | - Daniel A. Haber
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer CenterHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMAUSA
- Department of MedicineHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMAUSA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseMDUSA
| | - Shyamala Maheswaran
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer CenterHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMAUSA
- Department of SurgeryHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMAUSA
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22
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Kim DD, Yang CS, Chae HD, Kwak SG, Jeon CH. Melanoma antigen-encoding gene family member A1-6 and hTERT in the detection of circulating tumor cells following CD45 - depletion and RNA extraction. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:837-843. [PMID: 28693240 PMCID: PMC5494678 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 76 blood samples from patients without malignant disease and 107 blood samples from patients with malignant disease were investigated for the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). To detect CTCs, hematopoietic cells were removed from the blood samples and different RNA extraction methods were used to amplify the melanoma antigen-encoding gene family member A1-family member A6 (MAGE A1-6) and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene as potential CTC markers. Comparison between four methods for extracting RNA from the blood was performed. The samples were enriched by cluster of differentiation 45 (CD45) antibody capturing, and the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the MAGE A1-6 and hTERT genes. MAGE A1-6 and hTERT gene expression levels were also evaluated in 14 cancer cell lines, and the MAGE A1-6 and hTERT expression levels were 85.7 and 100%, respectively. The RNeasy method demonstrated the most sensitivity in the SNU1 cells mixed with blood, although the differences between methods was non-significant. The positive expression levels of MAGE A1-6 and hTERT was 11.8% in the control group and 58.9% in those with malignant disease. In the 70 patients with colorectal cancer, positive expression levels of MAGE A1-6 or hTERT were significantly higher in stages T3 and T4 compared with in stages T1 and T2. The CTC detection method involving CD45 antibody capture, RNA extraction and MAGE A1-6 and hTERT reverse transcription resulted in good rates of sensitivity and specificity. Thus, the present study concluded that MAGE A1-6 and hTERT genes may be potential and practical markers for CTCs in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae-Dong Kim
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea
| | - Chun-Seok Yang
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Dong Chae
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Gyu Kwak
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Ho Jeon
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea
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23
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Wu T, Cheng B, Fu L. Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor Cells in Pharmacotherapy: Challenges and Perspectives. Mol Pharmacol 2017; 92:232-239. [PMID: 28356334 DOI: 10.1124/mol.116.108142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Screening for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been identified as one approach to ultrasensitive liquid biopsy in real-time monitoring of cancer patients. The detection of CTCs in peripheral blood from cancer patients is promising as a diagnostic tool; however, the application of CTCs in therapeutic treatment still faces serious challenges with respect to specificity and sensitivity. Here, we review the significant roles of CTCs in metastasis and the strengths and weaknesses of the currently available methods for CTC detection and characterization. Moreover, we discuss the clinical application of CTCs as markers for patient prognosis, and we specifically focus on the application of CTCs as indicators in cancer pharmacotherapy. Characterization of the detected CTCs will provide new biologic perspectives and clinical applications for the treatment of cancer patients with metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute (T.W., L.F.); and Department of Oral Medicine, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (T.W., B.C.)
| | - Bin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute (T.W., L.F.); and Department of Oral Medicine, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (T.W., B.C.)
| | - Liwu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute (T.W., L.F.); and Department of Oral Medicine, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (T.W., B.C.)
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24
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Li J, Shi L, Zhang X, Sun B, Yang Y, Ge N, Liu H, Yang X, Chen L, Qian H, Wu M, Yin Z. pERK/pAkt phenotyping in circulating tumor cells as a biomarker for sorafenib efficacy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 7:2646-59. [PMID: 26544731 PMCID: PMC4823061 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, therapeutic response to sorafenib was not equal among HCC patients. Here we present a novel system to provide quantitative information concerning sorafenib-related targets by simultaneous detection of phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and pAkt expressions in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated from HCC patients. Our results showed that 90.0% of patients had a molecular classification of tissues concordant with that of CTCs. CTC counts showed a shaper decline in patients with pERK+/pAkt− CTCs after two weeks of sorafenib treatment (P < 0.01). Disease control rates were significantly different between patients with pERK+/pAkt− CTCs (11/15; 73.3%) and those without (13/44; 29.5%) (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis indicated pERK+/pAkt− CTCs as an independent predictive factor of progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio = 9.389; P < 0.01). PFS correlated with the proportion of pERK+/pAkt− CTCs (r = 0.968, P < 0.01), and was higher in patients with ≥ 40% pERK+/pAkt− CTCs compared to those with < 40% (8.4 vs. 1.3 mo; P < 0.05). In a validation set of twenty HCC patients, CTCs from patients with ≥ 40% pERK+/pAkt− CTCs had significantly higher inhibition rates of spheroid formation compared to those with < 40% (61.2 vs. 19.8%; P < 0.01). Our findings demonstrated that CTCs can be used in place of tumor tissue for characterization of pERK/pAkt expression. pERK+/pAkt− CTCs are most sensitive to sorafenib and an independent predictive factor of PFS in HCC patients treated with sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lehua Shi
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yefa Yang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Naijian Ge
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiying Liu
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Yang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haihua Qian
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengchao Wu
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengfeng Yin
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Zhang Y, Zhang X, Zhang J, Sun B, Zheng L, Li J, Liu S, Sui G, Yin Z. Microfluidic chip for isolation of viable circulating tumor cells of hepatocellular carcinoma for their culture and drug sensitivity assay. Cancer Biol Ther 2016; 17:1177-1187. [PMID: 27662377 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2016.1235665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been proposed to be an active source of metastasis or recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The enumeration and characterization of CTCs has important clinical significance in recurrence prediction and treatment monitoring in HCC patients. We previously developed a unique method to separate HCC CTCs based on the interaction of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) expressed on their membranes with its ligand. The current study applied the ligand-receptor binding assay to a CTC-chip in a microfluidic device. Efficient capture of HCC CTCs originates from the small dimensions of microfluidic channels and enhanced local topographic interactions between the microfluidic channel and extracellular extensions. With the optimized conditions, a capture yield reached > 85% for artificial CTC blood samples. Clinical utility of the system was further validated. CTCs were detected in all the examined 36 patients with HCC, with an average of 14 ± 10/2 mL. On the contrary, no CTCs were detected in healthy, benign liver disease or non-HCC cancer subjects. The current study also successfully demonstrated that the captured CTCs on our CTC-chip were readily released with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA); released CTCs remained alive and could be expanded to form a spheroid-like structure in a 3-dimensional cell culture assay; furthermore, sensitivity of released CTCs to chemotherapeutic agents (sorafenib or oxaliplatin) could be effectively tested utilizing this culture assay. In conclusion, the methodologies presented here offer great promise for accurate enumeration and easy release of captured CTCs, and released CTCs could be cultured for further functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- a Molecular Oncology Laboratory , Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- a Molecular Oncology Laboratory , Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Jinling Zhang
- b Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering , Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Bin Sun
- a Molecular Oncology Laboratory , Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Lulu Zheng
- b Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering , Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Jun Li
- a Molecular Oncology Laboratory , Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Sixiu Liu
- b Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering , Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Guodong Sui
- b Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science & Engineering , Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University , Shanghai , P.R. China
| | - Zhengfeng Yin
- a Molecular Oncology Laboratory , Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , P.R. China
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26
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Nurwidya F, Zaini J, Putra AC, Andarini S, Hudoyo A, Syahruddin E, Yunus F. Circulating Tumor Cell and Cell-free Circulating Tumor DNA in Lung Cancer. Chonnam Med J 2016; 52:151-8. [PMID: 27689025 PMCID: PMC5040764 DOI: 10.4068/cmj.2016.52.3.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that are separated from the primary site or metastatic lesion and disseminate in blood circulation. CTCs are considered to be part of the long process of cancer metastasis. As a 'liquid biopsy', CTC molecular examination and investigation of single cancer cells create an important opportunity for providing an understanding of cancer biology and the process of metastasis. In the last decade, we have seen dramatic development in defining the role of CTCs in lung cancer in terms of diagnosis, genomic alteration determination, treatment response and, finally, prognosis prediction. The aims of this review are to understand the basic biology and to review methods of detection of CTCs that apply to the various types of solid tumor. Furthermore, we explored clinical applications, including treatment monitoring to anticipate therapy resistance as well as biomarker analysis, in the context of lung cancer. We also explored the potential use of cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the genomic alteration analysis of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fariz Nurwidya
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Jamal Zaini
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Andika Chandra Putra
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Sita Andarini
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Achmad Hudoyo
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Elisna Syahruddin
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Faisal Yunus
- Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Fahrner R, Dondorf F, Ardelt M, Dittmar Y, Settmacher U, Rauchfuß F. Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma - factors influencing outcome and disease-free survival. World J Gastroenterol 2015; 21:12071-12082. [PMID: 26576092 PMCID: PMC4641125 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i42.12071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Liver transplantation can be a curative treatment in selected patients. However, there are several factors that influence disease-free survival after transplantation. This review addresses the pre-, intra- and postoperative factors that influence the risk of tumor recurrence after liver transplantation.
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