Multi­omics approach to improve patient­tailored therapy using immune checkpoint blockade and cytokine­induced killer cell infusion in an elderly patient with lung cancer: A case report and literature review.

The 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains low, despite recent advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Therefore, there is a need to identify alternative strategies to improve treatment outcomes. Modern diagnostics can significantly facilitate the selection of treatment plans to improve patient outcomes. In the present study, multi-form diagnostic methodologies were adopted, including next-generation sequencing-based actionable gene sequencing, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry, a circulating tumor cell (CTC) assay, flow cytometric analysis of lymphocyte subsets and computed tomography, to improve disease management in an 86-year-old female patient with relapsed metastatic NSCLC. High expression of PD-L1, elevated CTC tmutations, were observed. Based on these results, the patient was initially treated with the programmed death protein 1 blocking antibody sintilimab for two cycles, resulting in the stabilization of their condition, although the patient still exhibited severe pain and other symptoms, including fatigue, malaise, a loss of appetite and poor mental state. Informed by dynamic monitoring of the patient's response to treatment, the treatment plan was subsequently adjusted to a combination therapy with sintilimab and autologous cytokine-induced killer cell infusion, which eventually led to improved outcomes in both the management of the cancer and quality of life. In conclusion, multi-omics analysis may be used to establish patient-tailored therapies to improve clinical outcomes in hard-to-treat elderly patients with metastatic NSCLC.

Association of Clinical Features of Colorectal Cancer with Circulating Tumor Cells and Systemic Inflammatory Markers.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood have been shown to reflect the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer, and epithelial and mesenchymal markers further predict the likelihood of cancer dissemination. This study was conducted to identify possible association of clinical features of colorectal cancer with CTC counts, their subtypes, and systemic inflammatory markers. Methods: Blood samples of 316 colorectal cancer patients were used for CTC detection and subtyping with EpCAM, CK8/18/19, vimentin, and twist as biomarkers. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, lymphocyte/monocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) were also measured. The relationship between clinical data and these markers or parameters was analyzed. Results: Total CTC counts were correlated with whether there was lymph node involvement but was not correlated with TNM staging. There was a difference in mesenchymal CTCs between patients with and without lymph node involvement (P < 0.05). Also, more patients with metastasis tested positive for mesenchymal CTCs (P < 0.05). Of the systemic inflammatory markers, platelet/lymphocyte ratio was positively correlated with CTC counts (P < 0.01), and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio was negatively correlated with CTC counts (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Colorectal cancer patients with the mesenchymal markers on their CTCs are more likely to have lymph node involvement or distant metastasis than those without these markers.

The clinical significance of circulating tumor cells and T lymphocyte subtypes in pancreatic cancer patients.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are sensitive and reliable biomarkers for tracing relapsed and metastatic cancer. Here, we explore the clinical significance of CTCs and T lymphocyte subtypes in patients with pancreatic cancer. A total of 106 patients with the pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this study. The enrichment and identification of CTCs were achieved before treatment by a PatrolCTC detection technique. Flow cytometry (FACS) was used to characterize CD4, CD8, natural killer (NK) cells, and Tregulatory (Treg) lymphocyte subtypes. Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Interleukin-4 (IL-4), Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and Interferon γ (IFN-γ) were measured by meso-scale discovery (MSD) assay. Among these patients, 44 (41.5%) patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) were female and 62 (58.5%) cases were male. Case numbers with II-IV tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages were 32 (30.2%), 50 (47.2%), and 24 (22.6%), respectively. The positive rate of CTCs before surgery was 37.5% (12/32), 88.0% (44/50) and 100% (24/24) in stage II, III, and IV patients, respectively. Total CTCs, mixed CTCs, and mesenchymal CTCs (MCTCs) were strongly relevant to shorter progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients. In addition, total CTCs (≥6) and positive MCTCs were also significantly correlated with recurrence and metastasis. The patients with high CTCs also had low levels of CD4, CD4/CD8 ratio, NK cells, IL-2, and IFNγ. In contrast, Treg cells had significant elevation in PDAC patients. These results indicated that CTCs number in PDAC patients was an independent indicator for worse PFS. High CTCs also had strong correlation with weak cellular immunity functions.

Rolling circle amplification immunoassay combined with gold nanoparticle aggregates for colorimetric detection of protein.

A highly sensitive and novel colorimetric rolling circle amplification (RCA) immunoassay for detecting C-reactive protein (CRP) has been developed. In the assay, a CRP capture antibody was immobilized on magnetic beads and a CRP detection antibody was conjugated with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) using N-[ε-maleimidocaproyloxy] sulfosuccinimide ester. Along with the addition of CRP, a "sandwich" structure was formed. Subsequently, the ssDNA was used as a primer to initiate the RCA reaction in the presence of the circular template, phi29 DNA polymerase and deoxynucleotide triphosphates. The RCA product obtained by magnetic separation, and long tandem repeated sequences mediated the aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which could be observed by the naked eye or quantified using absorption spectra with a detection limit of 30 fg mL(-1) and a linear response range from 10 ng mL(-1) to 1 pg mL(-1). This assay offers the advantages of isothermal conditions, low cost and label-free quantification that could be hopeful for ultrasensitive and robust visual protein detection.

A colorimetric method for H1N1 DNA detection using rolling circle amplification.

A highly sensitive and specific colorimetry-based rolling circle amplification (RCA) assay has been successfully developed as a method for the effective detection of H1N1 DNA. Specific oligonucleotide and reporter primer probes were designed together with a circular template, and the oligonucleotide probes were attached to the surfaces of magnetic beads (MBs) to form functional MB-DNA conjugates as capture probes for the target H1N1 DNA molecules. Together with the addition of DNA targets and reporter primer probes to the MB-DNA conjugates, sandwiched hybrids were formed. The initiation of RCA amplification using the circular template in the presence of phi29 polymerase allowed for the amplification of a large number of repeat sequences of the single-stranded (ss)-DNA product. This RCA product accumulated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), resulting in a colorimetric change that could be viewed by the naked eye or detected using UV-vis spectroscopy. According to this method, H1N1 DNA could be detected at the 1 pmol L(-1) level. This platform exhibited design convenience, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, and could be used to provide a new diagnostic assay for H1N1, and other infectious diseases.