Comprehensive Analysis of CXCR4, JUNB, and PD-L1 Expression in Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from Prostate Cancer Patients.

CXCR4, JUNB and PD-L1 are implicated in cancer progression and metastasis. The current study investigated these biomarkers in CTCs isolated from metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) patients at the RNA and protein levels. CTCs were isolated from 48 mPCa patients using the Ficoll density gradient and ISET system (17 out of 48). The (CK/PD-L1/CD45) and (CK/CXCR4/JUNB) phenotypes were identified using two triple immunofluorescence stainings followed by VyCAP platform analysis. Molecular analysis was conducted with an EpCAM-dependent method for 25/48 patients. CK-8, CK-18, CK-19, JUNB, CXCR4, PD-L1, and B2M (reference gene) were analyzed with RT-qPCR. The (CK+/PD-L1+/CD45-) and the (CK+/CXCR4+/JUNB+) were the most frequent phenotypes (61.1% and 62.5%, respectively). Furthermore, the (CK+/CXCR4+/JUNB-) phenotype was correlated with poorer progression-free survival [(PFS), HR: 2.5, p = 0.049], while the (CK+/PD-L1+/CD45-) phenotype was linked to decreased overall survival [(OS), HR: 262.7, p = 0.007]. Molecular analysis revealed that 76.0% of the samples were positive for CK-8,18, and 19, while 28.0% were positive for JUNB, 44.0% for CXCR4, and 48.0% for PD-L1. Conclusively, CXCR4, JUNB, and PD-L1 were highly expressed in CTCs from mPCa patients. The CXCR4 protein expression was associated with poorer PFS, while PD-L1 was correlated with decreased OS, providing new biomarkers with potential clinical relevance.

ES-SCLC Patients with PD-L1+ CTCs and High Percentages of CD8+PD-1+T Cells in Circulation Benefit from Front-Line Immunotherapy Treatment.

SCLC is an aggressive cancer type with high metastatic potential and bad prognosis. CTCs are a valuable source of tumor cells in blood circulation and are among the major contributors to metastasis. In this study we evaluated the number of CTCs that express PD-L1 in treatment-naïve ES-SCLC patients receiving ICI in a front-line setting. Moreover, we explored the percentages of different immune T-cell subsets in circulation to assess their potential role in predicting responses. A total of 43 patients were enrolled-6 of them with LS-SCLC, and 37 with ES-SCLC disease. In addition, PBMCs from 10 healthy donors were used as a control group. Different T-cell subtypes were examined through multicolor FACS analysis and patients' CTCs were detected using immunofluorescence staining. SCLC patients had higher percentages of PD-1-expressing CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T-cells, as well as elevated PD-1 protein expression compared to healthy individuals. Additionally, in ES-SCLC patients, a positive correlation between CD3+CD8+PD-1+ T-cells and PD-L1+ CTCs was detected. Importantly, patients harboring higher numbers of CD3+CD8+PD-1+ T-cells together with PD-L1+CTCs had a survival advantage when receiving front-line immunotherapy. Thus, this study proposes, for first time possible, immune cell-CTCs interaction, as well as a potential novel clinical biomarker for ICI responses in ES-SCLC patients.

Prognostic Role of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Receiving Cabazitaxel: A Prospective Biomarker Study.

RATIONAL: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) appear to be a promising tool for predicting the clinical outcome and monitoring the response to treatment in patients with solid tumors. The current study assessed the clinical relevance of monitoring CTCs in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with cabazitaxel. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed mCRPC who were previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen and experienced disease progression were enrolled in this multicenter prospective study. CTC counts were enumerated using the CellSearch system at baseline (before cabazitaxel initiation), after one cabazitaxel cycle (post 1st cycle) and at disease progression (PD). Patients were stratified into predetermined CTC-positive and CTC-negative groups. The phenotypic characterization was performed using double immunofluorescence staining with anti-CKs and anti-Ki67, anti-M30 or anti-vimentin antibodies. RESULTS: The median PFS and OS were 4.0 (range, 1.0-17.9) and 14.5 (range, 1.2-33.9) months, respectively. At baseline, 48 out of 57 (84.2%) patients had ≥1 CTCs/7.5 mL of peripheral blood (PB) and 37 (64.9%) had ≥5 CTCs/7.5 mL of PB. After one treatment cycle, 30 (75%) out of the 40 patients with available measurements had ≥1 detectable CTC/7.5 mL of PB and 24 (60%) ≥ 5CTCs/7.5 mL of PB; 12.5% of the patients with detectable CTCs at the baseline sample had no detectable CTCs after one treatment cycle. The detection of ≥5CTCs/7.5 mL of PB at baseline and post-cycle 1 was associated with shorter PFS and OS (p = 0.002), whereas a positive CTC status post-cycle 1 strongly correlated with poorer OS irrespective of the CTC cut-off used. Multivariate analysis revealed that the detection of non-apoptotic (CK+/M30-) CTCs at baseline is an independent predictor of shorter OS (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mCRPC treated with cabazitaxel, CTC counts both at baseline and after the first cycle retain their prognostic significance, implying that liquid biopsy monitoring might serve as a valuable tool for predicting treatment efficacy and survival outcomes.

Functional Analysis of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Using TetherChip Technology.

Metastasis, rather than the growth of the primary tumor, accounts for approximately 90% of breast cancer patient deaths. Microtentacles (McTNs) formation represents an important mechanism of metastasis. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype with limited targeted therapies. The present study aimed to isolate viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and functionally analyze them in response to drug treatment. CTCs from 20 TNBC patients were isolated and maintained in culture for 5 days. Biomarker expression was identified by immunofluorescence staining and VyCap analysis. Vinorelbine-induced apoptosis was evaluated based on the detection of M30-positive cells. Our findings revealed that the CTC absolute number significantly increased using TetherChips analysis compared to the number of CTCs in patients' cytospins (p = 0.006) providing enough tumor cells for drug evaluation. Vinorelbine treatment (1 h) on live CTCs led to a significant induction of apoptosis (p = 0.010). It also caused a significant reduction in Detyrosinated α-tubulin (GLU), programmed death ligand (PD-L1)-expressing CTCs (p < 0.001), and disruption of McTNs. In conclusion, this pilot study offers a useful protocol using TetherChip technology for functional analysis and evaluation of drug efficacy in live CTCs, providing important information for targeting metastatic dissemination at a patient-individualized level.

Immune Checkpoint and EMT-Related Molecules in Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients and Their Clinical Impact.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. There are few targeted therapies for these patients, leading to an unmet need for new biomarkers. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of PD-L1, CTLA-4, GLU, and VIM in CTCs of TNBC patients. Ninety-five patients were enrolled in this study: sixty-four TNBC and thirty-one luminal. Of these patients, 60 were in the early stage, while 35 had metastatic disease. Protein expression was identified by immunofluorescence staining experiments and VyCAP analysis. All the examined proteins were upregulated in TNBC patients. The expression of the GLU+VIM+CK+ phenotype was higher (50%) in metastatic TNBC compared to early TNBC patients (17%) (p = 0.005). Among all the BC patients, a significant correlation was found between PD-L1+CD45-CK+ and CTLA-4+CD45-CK+ phenotypes (Spearman test, p = 0.024), implying an important role of dual inhibition in BC. Finally, the phenotypes GLU+VIM+CK+ and PD-L1+CD45-CK+ were associated with shorter OS in TNBC patients (OS: log-rank p = 0.048, HR = 2.9, OS: log-rank p < 0.001, HR = 8.7, respectively). Thus, PD-L1, CTLA-4, GLU, and VIM constitute significant biomarkers in TNBC associated with patients' outcome, providing new therapeutic targets for this difficult breast cancer subtype.

Comprehensive liquid biopsy analysis as a tool for the early detection of minimal residual disease in breast cancer.

Liquid biopsy (LB) provides a unique minimally invasive tool to follow-up cancer patients over time, to detect minimal residual disease (MRD), to study metastasis-biology and mechanisms of therapy-resistance. Molecular characterization of CTCs offers additionally the potential to understand resistance to therapy and implement individualized targeted treatments which can be modified during the disease evolution and follow-up period of a patient. In this study, we present a long-term follow-up of operable breast cancer patients based on a comprehensive liquid biopsy analysis. We performed a comprehensive liquid biopsy analysis in peripheral blood of 13 patients with early-stage operable breast cancer at several time points for a period of ten years, consisting of: (a) CTC enumeration using the CellSearch system, (b) phenotypic analysis of CTCs using Immunofluorescence, (c) gene expression analysis, in EpCAM(+) CTCs for CK-19, CD24,CD44, ALDH1, and TWIST1, (d) analysis of PIK3CA and ESR1 mutations in EpCAM(+) CTCs and corresponding plasma ctDNA and (e) DNA methylation of ESR1 in CTCs. 10/13 (77%) patients were found negative for LB markers in PB during the whole follow-up period, and these patients did not relapse during the follow-up. However, 3/13(18%) patients that were positive for at least one LB marker relapsed within the follow-up period. The molecular characteristics of CTCs were highly different even for the same patient at different time points, and always increased before the clinical relapse. Our results indicate that liquid biopsy can reveal the presence of MRD at least 4 years before the appearance of clinically detectable metastatic disease demonstrating that a comprehensive liquid biopsy analysis provides highly important information for the therapeutic management of breast cancer patients.

PD-L1/pS6 in Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) during Osimertinib Treatment in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

The PD-1/PD-L1 axis provides CTCs an escape route from the immune system. Phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 is implicated in the same pathway, following mTOR activation. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of PD-L1 and pS6 in CTCs from NSCLC patients under Osimertinib treatment at a single cell level. CTCs were isolated using ISET from NSCLC patients' blood [37 at baseline, 25 after the 1st cycle, and 23 at the end of treatment (EOT)]. Staining was performed using immunofluorescence. Cytokeratin-positive (CK+) CTCs were detected in 62% of patients. CK+PD-L1+CD45− and CK+pS6+ phenotypes were detected in 38% and 41% of the patients at baseline, in 28% and 32% after 1st cycle, and in 30% and 35% at EOT, respectively. Spearman's analysis revealed statistically significant correlations between PD-L1 and pS6 phenotypes at all time points. Survival analysis revealed that CK+pS6+ (p = 0.003) and CKlowpS6+ (p = 0.021) phenotypes after 1st cycle were related to significantly decreased one-year progression-free survival (PFS12m) and PFS, respectively. CK+PD-L1+CD45−phenotype at baseline and after 1st cycle showed a trend for decreased PFS12m. Increased expression of PD-L1/pS6 in CTCs of Osimertinib-treated NSCLC patients implies the activation of the corresponding pathway, which is potentially associated with poor clinical outcomes.

PARP-1 Expression and BRCA1 Mutations in Breast Cancer Patients' CTCs.

BRCA1 and PARP are involved in DNA damage repair pathways. BRCA1 mutations have been linked to higher likelihood of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The aim of the study was to determine PARP-1 expression and BRCA1 mutations in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of BC patients. Fifty patients were enrolled: 23 luminal and 27 TNBC. PARP expression in CTCs was identified by immunofluorescence. Genotyping was performed by PCR-Sanger sequencing in the same samples. PARP-1 expression was higher in luminal (61%) and early BC (54%), compared to TNBC (41%) and metastatic (33%) patients. In addition, PARP-1 distribution was mostly cytoplasmic in luminal patients (p = 0.024), whereas it was mostly nuclear in TNBC patients. In cytokeratin (CK)-positive patients, those with the CK+PARP+ phenotype had longer overall survival (OS, log-rank p = 0.046). Overall, nine mutations were detected; M1 and M2 were completely new and M4, M7 and M8 were characterized as pathogenic. M7 and M8 were predominantly found in metastatic TNBC patients (p = 0.014 and p = 0.002). Thus, PARP-1 expression and increased mutagenic burden in TNBC patients' CTCs, could be used as an indicator to stratify patients regarding therapeutic approaches.

Effect of Osimertinib on CTCs and ctDNA in EGFR Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: The Prognostic Relevance of Liquid Biopsy.

INTRODUCTION: Liquid biopsy is a useful tool for monitoring treatment outcome in solid tumors, including lung cancer. The relevance of monitoring CTCs and plasma ctDNA as predictors of clinical outcome was assessed in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients treated with osimertinib. METHODS: Forty-seven EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients who had progressed on prior first- or second-generation EGFR inhibitors were enrolled in the study and treated with osimertinib, irrespective of the presence of the T790M mutation in the primary tumor or the plasma. Peripheral blood was collected at baseline (n = 47), post-Cycle 1 (n = 47), and at the end of treatment (EOT; n = 39). CTCs were evaluated in 32 patients at the same time points (n = 32, n = 27, and n = 21, respectively) and phenotypic characterization was performed using triple immunofluorescence staining (CK/VIM/CD45). RESULTS: Osimertinib resulted in an ORR of 34% (2 CR) and a DCR of 76.6%. The median PFS and OS values were 7.5 (range, 0.8-52.8) and 15.1 (range, 2.1-52.8) months, respectively. ctDNA was detected in 61.7%, 27.7%, and 61.5% of patients at baseline, post-Cycle 1, and EOT, respectively. CTCs (CK+/CD45-) were detected in 68.8%, 48.1%, and 61.9% of patients at the three time points, respectively. CTCs expressing both epithelial and mesenchymal markers (CK+/VIM+/CD45-) were detected in 56.3% and 29.6% of patients at baseline and post-Cycle 1, respectively. The detection of ctDNA at baseline and post-Cycle 1 was associated with shorter PFS and OS, whereas the ctDNA clearance post-Cycle 1 resulted in a significantly longer PFS and OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex and the detection of ctDNA at baseline were independent predictors of shorter PFS (HR: 2.6, 95% C.I.: 1.2-5.5, p = 0.015 and HR: 3.0, 95% C.I.: 1.3-6.9; p = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in both CTCs and ctDNA occurring early during osimertinib treatment is predictive of better outcome, implying that liquid biopsy monitoring may be a valuable tool for the assessment of treatment efficacy.

Detyrosinated α-Tubulin, Vimentin and PD-L1 in Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) Isolated from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients.

Upregulation of Vimentin (VIM), alpha-Tubulin (TUB) and Detyrosinated tubulin (GLU) in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) derived from breast cancer patients is related to poor prognosis. In the current study we evaluated for the first time, these cytoskeletal proteins in sixty Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients' CTCs (33 treatment-naïve and 27 pre-treated). Samples were isolated using the ISET platform and stained with a pancytokeratin (CK)/CD45/TUB, CK/GLU/VIM and CK/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) combination of antibodies. Subsequently, slides were analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. CTCs were detected in 86.7% of the patients. CTCs with TUB expression were identified in 65.4% (34/52) of the CK (+)-patients. GLU, VIM and PD-L1 were also evaluated. The frequency of the observed phenotypes was as follow: (CK+/GLU-/VIM-): 35.2%, (CK+/GLU+/VIM+): 63.0%, (CK+/GLU+/VIM-): 16.7%, (CK+/GLU-/VIM+): 72.2%, (CK+/PD-L1-): 75% and (CK+/PD-L1+): 55%. The OS was significantly decreased in patients with high GLU (3.8 vs. 7.9 months; p = 0.018) and/or high VIM (3.2 vs. 7.1 months; p = 0.029) expression in their CTCs. PD-L1 was also related to OS (3.4 vs. 7.21 months; p = 0.035). Moreover, TUB-high and TUB-low expression in CTCs inversely influenced patients' OS as independent prognostic factors (p = 0.041 and p = 0.009). The current study revealed that TUB, GLU, VIM and PD-L1 were overexpressed in CTCs from NSCLC patients. Furthermore, the presence of GLU, VIM-positive and PD-L1 in CTCs is potentially related to patients' outcomes.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells: cancer progression and metastasis.

Detection and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype is very important, as it can contribute to the identification of high-risk for relapse and death patients. However, most methods underestimate CTC numbers, owing to their dependence on epithelial markers. In the current study, we evaluated the EMT phenotype in CTCs isolated from breast cancer (BC) patients, using the CellSearch system. Spiking experiments for the evaluation of the specificity and sensitivity of our method were performed using HeLa cells. Sixty-five breast cancer (BC) patients (47 early and 18 metastatic) were enrolled in the study. Vimentin is a mesenchymal marker that indicates tumoral cells acquiring invasive and malignant properties. We studied vimentin (VIM) expression using the extra channel of the CellSearch system and an anti-vimentin antibody conjugated with FITC. In our present results, we reported the percentage of circulating tumor cells that expressed vimentin in early and in metastatic breast cancer patients. Interestingly, the incidence of cells with a CK-VIM+CD45- phenotype was detected in both settings. These cells were detected in 31.4% of CK-negative (11/35) and 82.3% of CK-positive (10/12) early BC patients. The corresponding numbers for metastatic disease were 15.4% (2/13) and 100% (5/5), respectively. Our results suggest that in CTC-negative patients, potentially undetectable tumor cells could be identified using the FDA-approved CellSearch system, based on the (CK-VIM+CD45-)-phenotype, offering additional information regarding metastatic dissemination in cancer patients. Further experiments evaluating more biomarkers are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms that regulate tumorigenesis and metastasis.

Phenotypic Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells Isolated from Non-Small and Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

In the present study, we evaluated the expression of JUNB and CXCR4 in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of lung cancer patients and investigated whether these proteins have prognostic clinical relevance. Peripheral blood from 30 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was filtered using ISET membranes, and cytospins from 37 patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were analyzed using confocal and VyCAP microscopy. Both JUNB and CXCR4 were expressed in the vast majority of lung cancer patients. Interestingly, the phenotypic patterns differed between NSCLC and SCLC patients; the (CK+/JUNB+/CXCR4+) phenotype was present in 50% of NSCLC vs. 71% of SCLC patients. Similarly, the (CK+/JUNB+/CXCR4−) was present in 44% vs. 71%, the (CK+/JUNB−/CXCR4+) in 6% vs. 71%, and the (CK+/JUNB−/CXCR4−) phenotype in 38% vs. 84%. In NSCLC, the presence of ≥1 CTCs with the (CK+/JUNB+/CXCR4+) phenotype was associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.007, HR = 5.21) while ≥2 with poorer overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001, HR = 2.16). In extensive stage SCLC patients, the presence of ≥4 CXCR4-positive CTCs was associated with shorter OS (p = 0.041, HR = 5.01). Consequently, JUNB and CXCR4 were expressed in CTCs from lung cancer patients, and associated with patients' survival, underlying their key role in tumor progression.

Circulating tumor cells as prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer: current status and future prospects.

Introduction : Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques breast cancer is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. CTCs play a crucial role in the metastatic process, which is the main cause of death in BC patients.Areas covered : This review discusses the prognostic and predictive value of CTCs and their prospective in management of BC patients.Expert opinion : The analysis of CTCs through improved technologies offers a new insight into the metastatic cascade. Assessment of the number and molecular profile of CTCs holds great promises for disease monitoring and therapeutic decisions. However, more research is needed until they can be used in therapeutic decisions in clinical practice.

A Comprehensive Molecular Analysis of in Vivo Isolated EpCAM-Positive Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis is highly promising for liquid biopsy-based molecular diagnostics. We undertook a comprehensive molecular analysis of in vivo isolated CTCs in breast cancer (BrCa). METHODS: In vivo isolated CTCs from 42 patients with early and 23 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) were prospectively collected and analyzed for gene expression, DNA mutations, and DNA methylation before and after treatment. 19 healthy donor (HD) samples were analyzed as a control group. In identical blood draws, CTCs were enumerated using CellSearch® and characterized by direct IF staining. RESULTS: All 19 HD samples were negative for CK8, CK18, CK19, ERBB2, TWIST1, VEGF, ESR1, PR, and EGFR expression, while CD44, CD24, ALDH1, VIM, and CDH2 expression was normalized to B2M (reference gene). At least one gene was expressed in 23/42 (54.8%) and 8/13 (61.5%) CTCs in early BrCa before and after therapy, and in 20/23 (87.0%) and 5/7 (71.4%) MBC before and after the first cycle of therapy. PIK3CA mutations were detected in 11/42 (26.2%) and 3/13 (23.1%) in vivo isolated CTCs in early BrCa before and after therapy, and in 11/23 (47.8%) and 2/7 (28.6%) MBC, respectively. ESR1 methylation was detected in 5/32 (15.7%) and 1/10 (10.0%) CTCs in early BrCa before and after therapy, and in 3/15(20.0%) MBC before the first line of therapy. The comprehensive molecular analysis of CTC revealed a higher sensitivity in relation to CellSearch or IF staining when based on creatine kinase selection. CONCLUSIONS: In vivo-CTC isolation in combination with a comprehensive molecular analysis at the gene expression, DNA mutation, and DNA methylation level comprises a highly powerful approach for molecular diagnostic applications using CTCs.

Clinical Relevance of Mesenchymal- and Stem-Associated Phenotypes in Circulating Tumor Cells Isolated from Lung Cancer Patients.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Among the types of lung cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is more common, while small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less frequent yet more aggressive. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), albeit rare, have been portrayed as essential players in the progression of lung cancer. CTCs are considered to adopt an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs). This EMT (or partial) phenotype affords these cells the ability to escape from the primary tumor, travel into the bloodstream, and survive extremely adverse conditions, before colonizing distant foci. Acquisition of CSC features, such as self-renewal, differentiation, and migratory potential, further reflect CTCs' invasive potential. CSCs have been identified in lung cancer, and expression of EMT markers has previously been correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Thus far, a vast majority of studies have concentrated on CTC detection and enumeration as a prognostic tools of patients' survival or for monitoring treatment efficacy. In this review, we highlight EMT and CSC markers in CTCs and focus on the clinical significance of these phenotypes in the progression of both non-small- and small-cell lung cancer.

Dynamic changes of CTCs in patients with metastatic HR(+)/HER2(-) breast cancer receiving salvage treatment with everolimus/exemestane.

PURPOSE: Detection of CTCs represents a poor prognostic factor in patients with early and metastatic breast cancer (mBC) and treatment with everolimus-exemestane (E/E) is an established effective treatment in hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative mBC patients. The effect of E/E on CTCs in mBC patients was prospectively investigated. METHODS: CTCs from 50 pre-treated patients with mBC receiving E/E were analyzed using the CellSearch (CS) platform and triple immunofluorescence (IF) staining for cytokeratin, M30 and Ki67 expression to assess their proliferative and apoptotic status. RESULTS: CTCs (by CS) were detected in 64% of patients before treatment and E/E administration resulted in their decreased prevalence [(n = 18; 36%, p = 0.004) and (n = 7; 19.4%, p = 0.019) post-1st and post-3rd treatment cycle, respectively] whereas it was significantly increased at disease progression (PD: 61%) compared to post-1st and post-3rd cycle (p = 0.049 and p = 0.021, respectively). Ki67-positive CTCs were detected in 60%, 60%, 17% and 50% of patients before treatment, post-1st, post-3rd cycle and at PD, respectively, while the opposite was observed for M30-positive CTCs (0% at baseline, 10% after the 1st cycle, 50% after the 3rd cycle and 0% at PD). The detection of even ≥ 1 CTC/5 ml after one cycle was associated with decreased PFS (3.3 vs 9.0 months, p = 0.025) whereas the detection of even ≥ 2 CTCs at PD was associated with decreased OS (32.4 vs 19.5 months; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of E/E resulted in early elimination of proliferating CTCs in mBC patients and this effect was associated with a favorable clinical outcome.

Gene expression in circulating tumor cells reveals a dynamic role of EMT and PD-L1 during osimertinib treatment in NSCLC patients.

Liquid biopsy is a tool to unveil resistance mechanisms in NSCLC. We studied changes in gene expression in CTC-enriched fractions of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients under osimertinib. Peripheral blood from 30 NSCLC patients before, after 1 cycle of osimertinib and at progression of disease (PD) was analyzed by size-based CTC enrichment combined with RT-qPCR for gene expression of epithelial (CK-8, CK-18, CK-19), mesenchymal/EMT (VIM, TWIST-1, AXL), stem cell (ALDH-1) markers, PD-L1 and PIM-1. CTCs were also analyzed by triple immunofluorescence for 45 identical blood samples. Epithelial and stem cell profile (p = 0.043) and mesenchymal/EMT and stem cell profile (p = 0.014) at PD were correlated. There was a strong positive correlation of VIM expression with PIM-1 expression at baseline and increased PD-L1 expression levels at PD. AXL overexpression varied among patients and high levels of PIM-1 transcripts were detected. PD-L1 expression was significantly increased at PD compared to baseline (p = 0.016). The high prevalence of VIM positive CTCs suggest a dynamic role of EMT during osimertinib treatment, while increased expression of PD-L1 at PD suggests a theoretical background for immunotherapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients that develop resistance to osimertinib. This observation merits to be further evaluated in a prospective immunotherapy trial.

CXCR4 and JUNB double-positive disseminated tumor cells are detected frequently in breast cancer patients at primary diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: The chemokine receptor CXCR4 and the transcription factor JUNB, expressed on a variety of tumor cells, seem to play an important role in the metastatic process. Since disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow (BM) have been associated with worse outcomes, we evaluated the expression of CXCR4 and JUNB in DTCs of primary, nonmetastatic breast cancer (BC) patients before the onset of any systemic treatment. METHODS: Bilateral BM (10 ml) aspirations of 39 hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative BC patients were assessed for the presence of DTCs using the following combination of antibodies: pan-cytokeratin (A45-B/B3)/CXCR4/JUNB. An expression pattern of the examined proteins was created using confocal laser scanning microscopy, Image J software and BC cell lines. RESULTS: CXCR4 was overexpressed in cancer cells and DTCs, with the following hierarchy of expression: SKBR3 > MCF7 > DTCs > MDA-MB231. Accordingly, the expression pattern of JUNB was: DTCs > MDA-MB231 > SKBR3 > MCF7. The mean intensity of CXCR4 (6411 ± 334) and JUNB (27725.64 ± 470) in DTCs was statistically higher compared with BM hematopoietic cells (2009 ± 456, p = 0.001; and 11112.89 ± 545, p = 0.001, respectively). The (CXCR4+JUNB+CK+) phenotype was the most frequently detected [90% (35/39)], followed by the (CXCR4-JUNB+CK+) phenotype [36% (14/39)]. However, (CXCR4+JUNB-CK+) tumor cells were found in only 5% (3/39) of patients. Those patients harboring DTCs with the (CXCR4+JUNB+CK+) phenotype revealed lower overall survival (Cox regression: p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: (CXCR4+JUNB+CK+)-expressing DTCs, detected frequently in the BM of BC patients, seem to identify a subgroup of patients at higher risk for relapse that may be considered for close follow up.

The histone demethylase KDM2B activates FAK and PI3K that control tumor cell motility.

Recent studies revealed that the histone demethylase KDM2B regulates the epithelial markers E-Cadherin and ZO-1, the RhoA/B/C-small-GTPases and actin cytoskeleton organization, in DU-145 prostate- and HCT-116 colon-tumor cells. Here we addressed the role of KDM2B in the activation of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)-signaling and its involvement in regulating tumor cell motility. We used RT-PCR for gene transcriptional analysis, Western blotting for the assessment of protein expression and activity and wound-healing assay for the study of cell migration. KDM2B overexpression or silencing controls the activity of FAK in DU-145 prostate- and HCT-116 colon-tumor cells without affecting gene transcription and protein expression of this kinase. Upon KDM2B overexpression in DU-145 cells, significantly enhanced migration was observed, which was abolished in cells pretreated by the specific phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3 K) inhibitor LY294002, implying involvement of FAK/PI3 K signaling in the migration process. In line with this, the p85-PI3 K-subunit was downregulated upon knockdown of KDM2B in DU-145 cells, while the opposite effect became evident in KDM2B-overexpressing cells. These results revealed a novel functional role of KDM2B in regulating the activation of the FAK/PI3 K signaling in prostate cancer cells that participates in the control of cell motility.

The prognostic value of JUNB-positive CTCs in metastatic breast cancer: from bioinformatics to phenotypic characterization.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are important for metastatic dissemination of cancer. They can provide useful information, regarding biological features and tumor heterogeneity; however, their detection and characterization are difficult due to their limited number in the bloodstream and their mesenchymal characteristics. Therefore, new biomarkers are needed to address these questions. METHODS: Bioinformatics functional enrichment analysis revealed a subgroup of 24 genes, potentially overexpressed in CTCs. Among these genes, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 plays a central role. After prioritization according to the CXCR4 corresponding pathways, five molecules (JUNB, YWHAB, TYROBP, NFYA, and PRDX1) were selected for further analysis in biological samples. The SKBR3, MDA-MB231, and MCF7 cell lines, as well as PBMCs from normal (n = 10) blood donors, were used as controls to define the expression pattern of all the examined molecules. Consequently, 100 previously untreated metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients (n = 100) were analyzed using the following combinations of antibodies: CK (cytokeratin)/CXCR4/JUNB, CK/NFYA/ΥWHΑΒ (14-3-3), and CK/TYROBP/PRDX1. A threshold value for every molecule was considered the mean expression in normal PBMCs. RESULTS: Quantification of CXCR4 revealed overexpression of the receptor in SKBR3 and in CTCs, following the subsequent scale (SKBR3>CTCs>Hela>MCF7>MDA-MB231). JUNB was also overexpressed in CTCs (SKBR3>CTCs>MCF7>MDA-MB231>Hela). According to the defined threshold for each molecule, CXCR4-positive CTCs were identified in 90% of the patients with detectable tumor cells in their blood. In addition, 65%, 75%, 14.3%, and 12.5% of the patients harbored JUNB-, TYROBP-, NFYA-, and PRDX-positive CTCs, respectively. Conversely, none of the patients revealed YWHAB-positive CTCs. Interestingly, JUNB expression in CTCs was phenotypically and statistically enhanced compared to patients' blood cells (p = 0.002) providing a possible new biomarker for CTCs. Furthermore, the detection of JUNB-positive CTCs in patients was associated with poorer PFS (p = 0.015) and OS (p = 0.002). Moreover, JUNB staining of 11 primary and 4 metastatic tumors from the same cohort of patients revealed a dramatic increase of JUNB expression in metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: CXCR4, JUNB, and TYROBP were overexpressed in CTCs, but only the expression of JUNB was associated with poor prognosis, providing a new biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for the elimination of CTCs.