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Lovero D, D’Oronzo S, Palmirotta R, Cafforio P, Brown J, Wood S, Porta C, Lauricella E, Coleman R, Silvestris F. Correlation between targeted RNAseq signature of breast cancer CTCs and onset of bone-only metastases. Br J Cancer 2022; 126:419-429. [PMID: 34272498 PMCID: PMC8810805 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01481-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bone is the most frequent site of metastases from breast cancer (BC), but no biomarkers are yet available to predict skeletal dissemination. METHODS We attempted to identify a gene signature correlated with bone metastasis (BM) onset in circulating tumour cells (CTCs), isolated by a DEPArray-based protocol from 40 metastatic BC patients and grouped according to metastasis sites, namely "BM" (bone-only), "ES" (extra-skeletal) or BM + ES (bone + extra-skeletal). RESULTS A 134-gene panel was first validated through targeted RNA sequencing (RNAseq) on sub-clones of the MDA-MB-231 BC cell line with variable organotropism, which successfully shaped their clustering. The panel was then applied to CTC groups and, in particular, the "BM" vs "ES" CTC comparison revealed 31 differentially expressed genes, including MAF, CAPG, GIPC1 and IL1B, playing key prognostic roles in BC. CONCLUSION Such evidence confirms that CTCs are suitable biological sources for organotropism investigation through targeted RNAseq and might deserve future applications in wide-scale prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Lovero
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Stella D’Oronzo
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Raffaele Palmirotta
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Cafforio
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Janet Brown
- grid.417079.c0000 0004 0391 9207Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Steven Wood
- grid.417079.c0000 0004 0391 9207Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Camillo Porta
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Eleonora Lauricella
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Robert Coleman
- grid.417079.c0000 0004 0391 9207Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Franco Silvestris
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology—Section of Internal Medicine and Clinical Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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2
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Rossi T, Gallerani G, Martinelli G, Maltoni R, Fabbri F. Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9091242. [PMID: 34572427 PMCID: PMC8466266 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a disease characterized by high degrees of heterogeneity at morphologic, genomic, and genetic levels, even within the same tumor mass or among patients. As a consequence, different subpopulations coexist and less represented clones may have a selective advantage, significantly influencing the outcome of BC patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a rare population of cells with a crucial role in metastatic cascade, and in recent years have represented a fascinating alternative to overcome the heterogeneity issue as a “liquid biopsy”. However, besides the raw enumeration of these cells in advanced epithelial tumors, there are no CTC-based assays applied in the clinical practice to improve personalized medicine. In this review, we report the latest findings in the field of CTCs for intra-tumoral heterogeneity unmasking in BC, supporting the need to deepen their analysis to investigate their role in metastatic process and include the molecular characterization in the clinical practice. In the future, CTCs will be helpful in monitoring patients during treatment, as well as to better address therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Rossi
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (G.G.); (F.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0549-73-9982
| | - Giulia Gallerani
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (G.G.); (F.F.)
| | - Giovanni Martinelli
- Scientific Directorate, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy;
| | - Roberta Maltoni
- Healthcare Administration, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy;
| | - Francesco Fabbri
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (G.G.); (F.F.)
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Yu Z, Song M, Chouchane L, Ma X. Functional Genomic Analysis of Breast Cancer Metastasis: Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133276. [PMID: 34208889 PMCID: PMC8268362 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Metastasis remains the greatest cause of fatalities in breast cancer patients world-wide. The process of metastases is highly complex, and the current research efforts in this area are still rather fragmented. The revolution of genomic profiling methods to analyze samples from human and animal models dramatically improved our understanding of breast cancer metastasis. This article summarizes the recent breakthroughs in genomic analyses of breast cancer metastasis and discusses their implications for prognostic and therapeutic applications. Abstract Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most diagnosed cancers worldwide and is the second cause of cancer related death in women. The most frequent cause of BC-related deaths, like many cancers, is metastasis. However, metastasis is a complicated and poorly understood process for which there is a shortage of accurate prognostic indicators and effective treatments. With the rapid and ever-evolving development and application of genomic sequencing technologies, many novel molecules were identified that play previously unappreciated and important roles in the various stages of metastasis. In this review, we summarize current advancements in the functional genomic analysis of BC metastasis and discuss about the potential prognostic and therapeutic implications from the recent genomic findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
- Correspondence: (Z.Y.); (X.M.)
| | - Mei Song
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Lotfi Chouchane
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 24144, Qatar;
| | - Xiaojing Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
- Correspondence: (Z.Y.); (X.M.)
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Alba-Bernal A, Lavado-Valenzuela R, Domínguez-Recio ME, Jiménez-Rodriguez B, Queipo-Ortuño MI, Alba E, Comino-Méndez I. Challenges and achievements of liquid biopsy technologies employed in early breast cancer. EBioMedicine 2020; 62:103100. [PMID: 33161226 PMCID: PMC7670097 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women worldwide and its early detection is crucial to curing the disease. Tissue biopsy, currently the method of choice to obtain tumour molecular information, is invasive and might be affected by tumour heterogeneity rendering it incapable to portray the complete molecular picture. Liquid biopsy permits to study disease features in a more comprehensive manner by sampling biofluids and extracting tumour components such as circulating-tumour DNA (ctDNA), circulating-tumour cells (CTCs), and/or circulating-tumour RNA (ctRNA) amongst others in a monitoring-compatible manner. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the utilization of the circulating tumour components using early breast cancer samples. We review the most important analytes and technologies employed for their study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Alba-Bernal
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Rocío Lavado-Valenzuela
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - María Emilia Domínguez-Recio
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Begoña Jiménez-Rodriguez
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - María Isabel Queipo-Ortuño
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Emilio Alba
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain.
| | - Iñaki Comino-Méndez
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Medica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria. The Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA-CIMES-UMA), Málaga 29010, Spain.
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Martos T, Casadevall D, Albanell J. Circulating Tumor Cells: Applications for Early Breast Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1220:135-146. [PMID: 32304084 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-35805-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. Most of breast cancer patients are diagnosed in early stages and will be treated with curative intent. Despite this, some patients will relapse. The identification of patients at high risk remains an important challenge. CTCs can be useful to identify this patients, to assess tumor dynamics and to monitoring therapy. There is definitive evidence on the prognostic role of CTCs in early breast cancer (eBC) but its clinical utility in daily practice is still lacking. We have to take into consideration that the studies published to date mainly evaluated the presence of CTC based on the expression of epithelial surface markers. Future studies need to overcome this limitation and important advances in technical methods can assess CTCs and capture the heterogeneity of the tumor landscape. It is also tempting to speculate that CTCs may also provide complementary information on the interplay of tumor cells with the immune system. The combination of different methods to detect tumoral disease by liquid biopsy may provide new ways to personalize in an unprecedented manner the management of patients with eBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Martos
- Servei d'Oncologia Mèdica, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Casadevall
- Servei d'Oncologia Mèdica, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.,Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Albanell
- Servei d'Oncologia Mèdica, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. .,Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain. .,CEXS Department, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain. .,CIOCC HM Delfos, Barcelona, Spain.
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Introduction - Biology of Breast Cancer Metastasis and Importance of the Analysis of CTCs. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1220:1-10. [PMID: 32304076 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-35805-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer metastasis is a complex multistep process during which tumor cells undergo structural and functional changes that allow them to move away from the primary tumor and disseminate to distant organs and tissues. Despite the inefficiency of this process, some populations of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which are those cells responsible of metastases formation, are able to survive in blood circulation and grow into secondary tumors. Metastatic breast cancer remains an incurable disease, and the phenomenon of metastasis represents the larger cause of death in these patients. The application of liquid biopsy techniques and the advancements in the field have shown the prognostic value of CTCs, suggesting the importance that CTCs analyses may have in the clinic. However, their implementation in routine clinic has not been yet achieved due to the yet small body of evidence showing their clinical utility. This introductory chapter will revise the key aspects of breast cancer metastasis and discuss the importance of CTC analyses in the management of breast cancer patients.
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Scioli MG, Storti G, D'Amico F, Gentile P, Fabbri G, Cervelli V, Orlandi A. The Role of Breast Cancer Stem Cells as a Prognostic Marker and a Target to Improve the Efficacy of Breast Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11071021. [PMID: 31330794 PMCID: PMC6678191 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11071021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common form of tumor in women and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Even though the major cellular burden in breast cancer is constituted by the so-called bulk tumor cells, another cell subpopulation named cancer stem cells (CSCs) has been identified. The latter have stem features, a self-renewal capacity, and the ability to regenerate the bulk tumor cells. CSCs have been described in several cancer types but breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) were among the first to be identified and characterized. Therefore, many efforts have been put into the phenotypic characterization of BCSCs and the study of their potential as prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets. Many dysregulated pathways in BCSCs are involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and are found up-regulated in circulating tumor cells (CTCs), another important cancer cell subpopulation, that shed into the vasculature and disseminate along the body to give metastases. Conventional therapies fail at eliminating BCSCs because of their quiescent state that gives them therapy resistance. Based on this evidence, preclinical studies and clinical trials have tried to establish novel therapeutic regimens aiming to eradicate BCSCs. Markers useful for BCSC identification could also be possible therapeutic methods against BCSCs. New approaches in drug delivery combined with gene targeting, immunomodulatory, and cell-based therapies could be promising tools for developing effective CSC-targeted drugs against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giovanna Scioli
- Anatomic Pathology Institute, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Gabriele Storti
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Federico D'Amico
- Anatomic Pathology Institute, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Pietro Gentile
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Giulia Fabbri
- Anatomic Pathology Institute, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Valerio Cervelli
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Augusto Orlandi
- Anatomic Pathology Institute, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy.
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