RNA sequencing of pancreatic circulating tumour cells implicates WNT signalling in metastasis.

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) shed into blood from primary cancers include putative precursors that initiate distal metastases. Although these cells are extraordinarily rare, they may identify cellular pathways contributing to the blood-borne dissemination of cancer. Here, we adapted a microfluidic device for efficient capture of CTCs from an endogenous mouse pancreatic cancer model and subjected CTCs to single-molecule RNA sequencing, identifying Wnt2 as a candidate gene enriched in CTCs. Expression of WNT2 in pancreatic cancer cells suppresses anoikis, enhances anchorage-independent sphere formation, and increases metastatic propensity in vivo. This effect is correlated with fibronectin upregulation and suppressed by inhibition of MAP3K7 (also known as TAK1) kinase. In humans, formation of non-adherent tumour spheres by pancreatic cancer cells is associated with upregulation of multiple WNT genes, and pancreatic CTCs revealed enrichment for WNT signalling in 5 out of 11 cases. Thus, molecular analysis of CTCs may identify candidate therapeutic targets to prevent the distal spread of cancer.

Isolation of circulating tumor cells using a microvortex-generating herringbone-chip.

Rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) present in the bloodstream of patients with cancer provide a potentially accessible source for detection, characterization, and monitoring of nonhematological cancers. We previously demonstrated the effectiveness of a microfluidic device, the CTC-Chip, in capturing these epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-expressing cells using antibody-coated microposts. Here, we describe a high-throughput microfluidic mixing device, the herringbone-chip, or "HB-Chip," which provides an enhanced platform for CTC isolation. The HB-Chip design applies passive mixing of blood cells through the generation of microvortices to significantly increase the number of interactions between target CTCs and the antibody-coated chip surface. Efficient cell capture was validated using defined numbers of cancer cells spiked into control blood, and clinical utility was demonstrated in specimens from patients with prostate cancer. CTCs were detected in 14 of 15 (93%) patients with metastatic disease (median = 63 CTCs/mL, mean = 386 ± 238 CTCs/mL), and the tumor-specific TMPRSS2-ERG translocation was readily identified following RNA isolation and RT-PCR analysis. The use of transparent materials allowed for imaging of the captured CTCs using standard clinical histopathological stains, in addition to immunofluorescence-conjugated antibodies. In a subset of patient samples, the low shear design of the HB-Chip revealed microclusters of CTCs, previously unappreciated tumor cell aggregates that may contribute to the hematogenous dissemination of cancer.

A dose-ranging study of cabozantinib in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases.

BACKGROUND: Cabozantinib is an oral MET/VEGFR2 inhibitor. A recent phase II study of cabozantinib (100 mg daily) showed improved bone scans in subjects with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), but adverse events (AE) caused frequent dose reductions. This study was designed to determine the efficacy and tolerability of cabozantinib at lower starting doses. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: An adaptive design was used to determine the lowest active daily dose among 60, 40, and 20 mg. The primary endpoint was week 6 bone scan response, defined as ≥30% decrease in bone scan lesion area. The secondary endpoint was change in circulating tumor cells (CTC). RESULTS: Among 11 evaluable subjects enrolled at 40 mg, there were 9 partial responses (PR), 1 complete response, and 1 stable disease (SD). Of 10 subjects subsequently enrolled at 20 mg, there were 1 PR, 5 SDs, and 4 with progressive disease. Among 13 subjects enrolled on the 40 mg expansion cohort, there were 6 PRs and 7 SDs. No subjects required dose reduction or treatment interruption at 6 or 12 weeks; 3 subjects at dose level 0 discontinued due to AEs by 12 weeks. At 40 mg, median treatment duration was 27 weeks. 58% of subjects with ≥5 CTCs/7.5 mL at baseline converted to <5. CONCLUSIONS: Cabozantinib 40 mg daily was associated with a high rate of bone scan response. Cabozantinib 40 mg daily was associated with better tolerability than previously reported for cabozantinib 100 mg daily. These observations informed the design of phase III studies of cabozantinib in mCRPC.

Circulating breast tumor cells exhibit dynamic changes in epithelial and mesenchymal composition.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of adherent epithelial cells to a migratory mesenchymal state has been implicated in tumor metastasis in preclinical models. To investigate its role in human cancer, we characterized EMT in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from breast cancer patients. Rare primary tumor cells simultaneously expressed mesenchymal and epithelial markers, but mesenchymal cells were highly enriched in CTCs. Serial CTC monitoring in 11 patients suggested an association of mesenchymal CTCs with disease progression. In an index patient, reversible shifts between these cell fates accompanied each cycle of response to therapy and disease progression. Mesenchymal CTCs occurred as both single cells and multicellular clusters, expressing known EMT regulators, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß pathway components and the FOXC1 transcription factor. These data support a role for EMT in the blood-borne dissemination of human breast cancer.

Androgen receptor signaling in circulating tumor cells as a marker of hormonally responsive prostate cancer.

UNLABELLED: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is initially effective in treating metastatic prostate cancer, and secondary hormonal therapies are being tested to suppress androgen receptor (AR) reactivation in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Despite variable responses to AR pathway inhibitors in CRPC, there are no reliable biomarkers to guide their application. Here, we used microfluidic capture of circulating tumor cells (CTC) to measure AR signaling readouts before and after therapeutic interventions. Single-cell immunofluorescence analysis revealed predominantly "AR-on" CTC signatures in untreated patients, compared with heterogeneous ("AR-on, AR-off, and AR-mixed") CTC populations in patients with CRPC. Initiation of first-line ADT induced a profound switch from "AR-on" to "AR-off" CTCs, whereas secondary hormonal therapy in CRPC resulted in variable responses. Presence of "AR-mixed" CTCs and increasing "AR-on" cells despite treatment with abiraterone acetate were associated with an adverse treatment outcome. Measuring treatment-induced signaling responses within CTCs may help guide therapy in prostate cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Acquired resistance to first-line hormonal therapy in prostate cancer is heterogeneous in the extent of AR pathway reactivation. Measurement of pre- and posttreatment AR signaling within CTCs may help target such treatments to patients most likely to respond to second-line therapies.