Limited genomic heterogeneity of circulating melanoma cells in advanced stage patients.

Purpose. Circulating melanoma cells (CMCs) constitute a potentially important representation of time-resolved tumor biology in patients. To date, genomic characterization of CMCs has been limited due to the lack of a robust methodology capable of identifying them in a format suitable for downstream characterization. Here, we have developed a methodology to detect intact CMCs that enables phenotypic, morphometric and genomic analysis at the single cell level. Experimental design. Blood samples from 40 metastatic melanoma patients and 10 normal blood donors were prospectively collected. A panel of 7 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4)-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was used to immunocytochemically label CMCs. Detection was performed by automated digital fluorescence microscopy and multi-parametric computational analysis. Individual CMCs were captured by micromanipulation for whole genome amplification and copy number variation (CNV) analysis. Results. Based on CSPG4 expression and nuclear size, 1-250 CMCs were detected in 22 (55%) of 40 metastatic melanoma patients (0.5-371.5 CMCs ml(-1)). Morphometric analysis revealed that CMCs have a broad spectrum of morphologies and sizes but exhibit a relatively homogeneous nuclear size that was on average 1.5-fold larger than that of surrounding PBMCs. CNV analysis of single CMCs identified deletions of CDKN2A and PTEN, and amplification(s) of TERT, BRAF, KRAS and MDM2. Furthermore, novel chromosomal amplifications in chr12, 17 and 19 were also found. Conclusions. Our findings show that CSPG4 expressing CMCs can be found in the majority of advanced melanoma patients. High content analysis of this cell population may contribute to the design of effective personalized therapies in patients with melanoma.

Current Therapy and New Directions in the Treatment of Hairy Cell Leukemia: A Review.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a chronic B-cell leukemia noted for an indolent course that ultimately results in cytopenias and massive splenomegaly. Whereas treatment with the nucleoside purine analogues cladribine and pentostatin results in lengthy remissions in nearly all patients with HCL, most patients will experience relapse while a small percentage of patients' disease fails to respond to therapy in the first place. Retreatment with a purine nucleoside analogue often leads to an effective but limited response. For decades, few other viable therapeutic options were available to these patients who required retreatment. Recently, new insights into the mechanism of disease of HCL have led to research in new potential treatment agents, either alone or with a purine nucleoside analogue. Clinical trials with rituximab, bendamustine, and conjugate immunotoxins will reveal what role these therapies will have in HCL treatment. A better understanding of the BRAF/MEK/ERK pathway and the B-cell signaling pathway has allowed further exploration into the novel drugs vemurafenib, dabrafenib, trametinib, and ibrutinib.

Hairy cell leukemia: a 'hair-raising' update.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an uncommon low grade B cell leukemia that is marked by pancytopenia, splenomegaly, and characteristic cytoplasmic hairy projections. The current standard of care is treatment with purine analogs, like cladribine or pentostatin, which provide a high complete remission rate with a median duration of response of 5 years. Many patients who show initial remission will relapse, and others with refractory disease may show no response. The discovery of the BRAF mutation has created a therapeutic target exploited by oral inhibitors like vemurafenib and dabrafenib. Targeted immunotoxins remain an interesting area of study. The use of the monoclonal antibody rituximab in combination with purine analogs appears to produce even higher responses, often employed to minimize or eliminate residual disease. With our current understanding of B cell signaling pathways, the development of kinase inhibitors appears promising and may change the future therapeutic landscape of this rare disease.