Intelligent recognition of CTCs from gallbladder cancer by ultrasensitive electrochemical cytosensor and diagnosis of chemotherapeutic resistance

Photoelectrochemical and fluorescent dual-mode sensitive detection of circulating tumor cells based on aptamer DNA-linked CdTe QDs/Bi2MoO6/CdS "double Z-scheme" system

Herein, a novel dual-mode biosensor integrating photoelectrochemical (PEC) and fluorescence (FL) sensing detection was developed for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) based on aptamer DNA-linked CdTe QDs (Apt-CdTe QDs)/Bi2MoO6/CdS "dual Z-scheme" sensing system. Apt-CdTe QDs were assembled on FTO/CdS/Bi2MoO6/cDNA electrode through hybridization with cDNA, resulting in the formation of a double Z-scheme CdS/Bi2MoO6/CdTe heterostructure that significantly enhanced the separation of photo-generated charge carriers, thereby improving photocatalytic efficiency. Upon the presence of MCF-7 cells, Apt-QDs were captured and subsequently released from the captured electrode, leading to a decrease in photocurrent and an increase in fluorescence intensity, thus enabling effective PEC-FL dual-mode detection. The detection of CTCs exhibited a linear relationship within the concentration range from 50 to 100000 cells mL-1 with limit of detection of 1 cell mL-1 in both PEC and FL modes. This approach effectively corrected systematic errors, improved detection accuracy and sensitivity, and held great potential in the clinical detection of CTCs.

An electrochemical fluorescence dual-mode strategy for HER2-positive breast cancer cell detection

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with HER2-overexpressing subtypes exhibiting increased aggressiveness and poorer prognosis. Accurate identification of HER2-positive subtypes is essential for the effective implementation of HER2-targeted therapy. In this study, an electrochemical fluorescence dual-mode strategy was developed for the high sensitive detection of HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Immunofluorescent quantum dot probes (IFQDs) with both fluorescence and enzyme catalysis were constructed. It labelled HER2 sites on the cell membrane to enable fluorescent imaging and cell counting. Furthermore, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) on the probe surface catalyzed the reduction of silver on the surface of the Au NPs@ITO electrode through enzyme-induced metallization, thereby enabling quantitative detection of the cells via stripping voltammetry. The application of two methods, namely enzyme-induced metallization and enrichment of signal species on the electrode surface, significantly enhanced the sensitivity of this analytical strategy. The self-monitoring of dual signals achieved more accurate analytical performance. The dual-mode strategy demonstrated satisfactory results in identifying breast cancer cells with varying HER2 expression levels and even in complex samples. It indicated that the electrochemical fluorescence dual-mode strategy had potential for typing and quantitative detection of cells with varying HER2 expression levels.

Enumeration, classification and clinical application of circulating tumor cells in advanced gallbladder adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The relationship between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and patients with advanced gallbladder adenocarcinoma (aGA) has been rarely studied. This article was to demonstrate the enumeration, classification, and clinical application of CTCs in patients with aGA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Peripheral blood samples were collected and CTCs were detected using the CanPatrol® technique. T test, χ2 test, Wilcoxon rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were performed to conduct statistical analysis.

RESULTS

CTCs were detected at pre-treatment in 75.00% (27/36) of the patients. Both CTCs positive rate and CTCs enumeration at pre-treatment were significantly associated with clinicopathological parameters including Ca199 level (P = 0.014, P < 0.001 respectively), tumor differentiation (P = 0.007, P = 0.002 respectively), lymph infiltration (P = 0.010, P = 0.025 respectively), vascular infiltration (P = 0.007, P < 0.001 respectively), and distant metastasis (P = 0.015, P = 0.002 respectively). CTCs-positive patients had a significantly shorter OS (HR 0.335, 95% CI 0.165-0.678, P = 0.0023) and PFS (HR 0.364, 95% CI 0.179-0.739, P = 0.0024) than CTCs-negative patients. Mesenchymal CTCs enumeration was closely related to the chemotherapy response, and CTCs programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) was highly correlated with the immunotherapy response. Positive CTCs at pre-treatment was closely related to the poor OS (HR 0.089, 95% CI 0.020-0.399, P = 0.002) as well as distant metastasis (HR 0.159, 95% CI 0.041-0.610, P = 0.007), untreated with chemotherapy (HR 4.510, 95% CI 1.403-14.499, P = 0.011) and untreated with immunotherapy (HR 6.845, 95% CI 1.894-24.738, P = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment-positive CTCs was closely related to the poor prognosis in patients with aGA. Monitoring the subtype and phenotype of CTCs may be one of the means to assess tumor treatment response.

Role of ENPP1 in cancer pathogenesis: Mechanisms and clinical implications (Review)

Cancer is a significant societal, public health and economic challenge in the 21st century, and is the primary cause of death from disease globally. Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (ENPP) serves a crucial role in several biochemical processes, including adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis, purine metabolism and regulation of signaling pathways. Specifically, ENPP1, a type II transmembrane glycoprotein and key member of the ENPP family, may be upregulated in tumor cells and implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple human cancers. The present review provides an overview of the structural, pathological and physiological roles of ENPP1 and discusses the potential mechanisms of ENPP1 in the development of cancers such as breast, colon, gallbladder, liver and lung cancers, and also summarizes the four major signaling pathways in tumors. Furthermore, the present review demonstrates that ENPP1 serves a crucial role in cell migration, proliferation and invasion, and that corresponding inhibitors have been developed and associated with clinical characterization.

Automated gall bladder cancer detection using artificial gorilla troops optimizer with transfer learning on ultrasound images

The gallbladder (GB) is a small pouch and a deep tissue placed under the liver. GB Cancer (GBC) is a deadly illness that is complex to discover in an initial phase. Initial diagnosis can significantly enhance the existence rate. Non-ionizing energy, low cost, and convenience make the US a general non-invasive analytical modality for patients with GB diseases. Automatic recognition of GBC from US imagery is a significant issue that has gained much attention from researchers. Recently, machine learning (ML) techniques dependent on convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures have prepared transformational growth in radiology and medical analysis for illnesses like lung, pancreatic, breast, and melanoma. Deep learning (DL) is a region of artificial intelligence (AI), a functional medical tomography model that can help in the initial analysis of GBC. This manuscript presents an Automated Gall Bladder Cancer Detection using an Artificial Gorilla Troops Optimizer with Transfer Learning (GBCD-AGTOTL) technique on Ultrasound Images. The GBCD-AGTOTL technique examines the US images for the presence of gall bladder cancer using the DL model. In the initial stage, the GBCD-AGTOTL technique preprocesses the US images using a median filtering (MF) approach. The GBCD-AGTOTL technique applies the Inception module for feature extraction, which learns the complex and intrinsic patterns in the pre-processed image. Besides, the AGTO algorithm-based hyperparameter tuning procedure takes place, which optimally picks the hyperparameter values of the Inception technique. Lastly, the bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) model helps classify gall bladder cancer. A series of simulation analyses were performed to ensure the performance of the GBCD-AGTOTL technique on the GBC dataset. The experimental outcomes inferred the enhanced abilities of the GBCD-AGTOTL in detecting gall bladder cancer.

Smart delivery vehicles for cancer: categories, unique roles and therapeutic strategies

Chemotherapy and surgery remain the primary treatment modalities for cancers; however, these techniques have drawbacks, such as cancer recurrence and toxic side effects, necessitating more efficient cancer treatment strategies. Recent advancements in research and medical technology have provided novel insights and expanded our understanding of cancer development; consequently, scholars have investigated several delivery vehicles for cancer therapy to improve the efficiency of cancer treatment and patient outcomes. Herein, we summarize several types of smart therapeutic carriers and elaborate on the mechanism underlying drug delivery. We reveal the advantages of smart therapeutic carriers for cancer treatment, focus on their effectiveness in cancer immunotherapy, and discuss the application of smart cancer therapy vehicles in combination with other emerging therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Finally, we summarize the bottlenecks encountered in the development of smart cancer therapeutic vehicles and suggest directions for future research. This review will promote progress in smart cancer therapy and facilitate related research.

An integrated electrochemical immunosensor based on Pd-Ir cubic nanozyme and Ketjen black for ultrasensitive detection of circulating tumor cells

Ultrasensitive detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) holds significant clinical importance in monitoring metastasis and therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we have developed a novel electrochemical sensing model based on nanomaterials for highly sensitive and specific determination of CTCs. A gold electrode co-modified with Ketjin black (KB) and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) exhibits exceptional conductivity. By conjugating palladium-iridium cubic nanozyme (Pd-Ir CNE) with antibodies, we have created a detection probe capable of catalyzing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), thereby amplifying the output signal and resulting in significantly enhanced current on the electrode for detecting CTCs. The constructed immunosensor has achieved a detection limit of 2 cell mL-1 for model MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the as-constructed electrochemical immunosensor can accurately detect whole blood-spiked target CTCs, showing great promise for clinical applications in early cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Circulating Tumor Cells are an Independent Risk Factor for Poor Prognosis in Patients with Gallbladder Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma after resection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 2018 and January 2021, 101 consecutive patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma were included. CTCs were detected and enumerated using the CanPatrol® technique. The follow-up period ended in January 2023. The cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated using log-rank and Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

CTCs were detected positively in 61.54% (8/13) of the patients in the non-operation group and 13.64% (12/88) in the operation group. In the operation group, the median CSS for CTCs-positive and CTCs-negative patients was 5.0 and 9.5 months (P < 0.001), respectively, and DFS was 2.8 and 5.0 months at stage III (P < 0.001), respectively. In the non-operation group, the median CSS for CTCs-positive and CTCs-negative patients was 3.5 and 6.5 months (P = 0.0031), respectively. The median CSS for CTCs-positive patients in the operation group was similar to that in the non-operation group (P = 0.67). Multivariate analyses showed that positive CTCs was an independent risk factor for poor CSS (HR 0.066, 95% CI 0.021-0.206, P < 0.001) as well as lymph infiltration (HR 0.320, 95% CI 0.110-0.930, P = 0.036), without R0 curative resection (HR 7.520, 95% CI 2.100-26.931, P = 0.002), and without adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 7.730, 95% CI 2.416-24.731, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Positive CTCs was an independent predictor of poor prognosis after resection in patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma. Preoperative detection of CTCs may play an important guiding role in formulating treatment strategies for these patients.