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Loh AHP, Angelina C, Wong MK, Tan SH, Sukhatme SA, Yeo T, Lim SB, Lee YT, Soh SY, Leung W, Chang KTE, Chua YW, Alkaff SMF, Lim TKH, Lim CT, Chen ZX. Pro-metastatic and mesenchymal gene expression signatures characterize circulating tumor cells of neuroblastoma patients with bone marrow metastases and relapse. Front Oncol 2022; 12:939460. [PMID: 36176417 PMCID: PMC9513238 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.939460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing marker-based methods of minimal residual disease (MRD) determination in neuroblastoma do not effectively enrich for the circulating disease cell population. Given the relative size differential of neuroblastoma tumor cells over normal hematogenous cells, we hypothesized that cell size-based separation could enrich circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples and disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) from bone marrow aspirates (BMA) of neuroblastoma patients, and that their gene expression profiles could vary dynamically with various disease states over the course of treatment. Using a spiral microfluidic chip, peripheral blood of 17 neuroblastoma patients at 3 serial treatment timepoints (diagnosis, n=17; post-chemotherapy, n=11; and relapse, n=3), and bone marrow samples at diagnosis were enriched for large intact circulating cells. Profiling the resulting enriched samples with immunohistochemistry and mRNA expression of 1490 cancer-related genes via NanoString, 13 of 17 samples contained CTCs displaying cytologic atypia, TH and PHOX2B expression and/or upregulation of cancer-associated genes. Gene signatures reflecting pro-metastatic processes and the neuroblastoma mesenchymal super-enhancer state were consistently upregulated in 7 of 13 samples, 6 of which also had metastatic high-risk disease. Expression of 8 genes associated with PI3K and GCPR signaling were significantly upregulated in CTCs of patients with bone marrow metastases versus patients without. Correspondingly, in patients with marrow metastases, differentially-expressed gene signatures reflected upregulation of immune regulation in bone marrow DTCs versus paired CTCs samples. In patients who later developed disease relapse, 5 genes involved in immune cell regulation, JAK/STAT signaling and the neuroblastoma mesenchymal super-enhancer state (OLFML2B, STAT1, ARHGDIB, STAB1, TLR2) were upregulated in serial CTC samples over their disease course, despite urinary catecholamines and bone marrow aspirates not indicating the disease recurrences. In summary, using a label-free cell size-based separation method, we enriched and characterized intact circulating cells in peripheral blood indicative of neuroblastoma CTCs, as well as their DTC counterparts in the bone marrow. Expression profiles of pro-metastatic genes in CTCs correlated with the presence of bone marrow metastases at diagnosis, while longitudinal profiling identified persistently elevated expression of genes in CTCs that may serve as novel predictive markers of hematogenous MRD in neuroblastoma patients that subsequently relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos H. P. Loh
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Clara Angelina
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Meng Kang Wong
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sheng Hui Tan
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sarvesh A. Sukhatme
- Mechanobiology Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Trifanny Yeo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Su Bin Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - York Tien Lee
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shui Yen Soh
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatric Subspecialties Haematology/Oncology Service, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wing Leung
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatric Subspecialties Haematology/Oncology Service, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kenneth T. E. Chang
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yong Wei Chua
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Syed M. F. Alkaff
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tony K. H. Lim
- Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhi Xiong Chen
- VIVA-KKH Paediatric Brain and Solid Tumour Programme, Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- National University Cancer Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- *Correspondence: Zhi Xiong Chen,
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Cui M, Zheng M, Wiraja C, Chew SWT, Mishra A, Mayandi V, Lakshminarayanan R, Xu C. Ocular Delivery of Predatory Bacteria with Cryomicroneedles Against Eye Infection. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:e2102327. [PMID: 34494724 PMCID: PMC8564459 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202102327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The development of potent antibiotic alternatives with rapid bactericidal properties is of great importance in addressing the current antibiotic crisis. One representative example is the topical delivery of predatory bacteria to treat ocular bacterial infections. However, there is a lack of suitable methods for the delivery of predatory bacteria into ocular tissue. This work introduces cryomicroneedles (cryoMN) for the ocular delivery of predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (B. bacteriovorus) bacteria. The cryoMN patches are prepared by freezing B. bacteriovorus containing a cryoprotectant medium in a microneedle template. The viability of B. bacteriovorus in cryoMNs remains above 80% as found in long-term storage studies, and they successfully impede the growth of gram-negative bacteria in vitro or in a rodent eye infection model. The infection is significantly relieved by nearly six times through 2.5 days of treatment without substantial effects on the cornea thickness and morphology. This approach represents the safe and efficient delivery of new class of antimicrobial armamentarium to otherwise impermeable ocular surface and opens up new avenues for the treatment of ocular surface disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Cui
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCity University of Hong Kong83 Tat Chee AvenueKowloonHong Kong SARChina
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Mengjia Zheng
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCity University of Hong Kong83 Tat Chee AvenueKowloonHong Kong SARChina
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Christian Wiraja
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Sharon Wan Ting Chew
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
| | - Arti Mishra
- Ocular Infections & Anti‐Microbials Research GroupSingapore Eye Research InstituteThe Academia20 College Road, Discovery TowerSingapore169856Singapore
| | - Venkatesh Mayandi
- Ocular Infections & Anti‐Microbials Research GroupSingapore Eye Research InstituteThe Academia20 College Road, Discovery TowerSingapore169856Singapore
| | - Rajamani Lakshminarayanan
- Ocular Infections & Anti‐Microbials Research GroupSingapore Eye Research InstituteThe Academia20 College Road, Discovery TowerSingapore169856Singapore
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical ProgramDuke‐NUS Graduate Medical School8 College RoadSingapore169857Singapore
- Department of PharmacyNational University of Singapore18 Science DriveSingapore117543Singapore
| | - Chenjie Xu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCity University of Hong Kong83 Tat Chee AvenueKowloonHong Kong SARChina
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