Project description:One of the main problems in managing desmoids tumors is their locoregional aggressiveness and their high ability to recur after initial treatment. In our work, with the goal to identify molecular markers that can predict Progression-Free Survival, gene-expression screening was conducted on 128 available independent untreated primary desmoid tumors using cDNA microarray. By analyzing expression profiles, we have identified, for the first time, a gene expression signature that is able to predict Progression-Free Survival. This molecular signature identified two groups with clearly distinct Progression-Free Survival in the two sets of subjects. Patients in good prognostic group had achieved a progression-free 2-year survival rate of 86% while patients in poor prognostic group had a progression-free 2-year survival rate of 44%. 128 available independent untreated primary desmoid tumors
Project description:Gliomas are the most devastating of primary adult malignant brain tumors. These tumors are highly infiltrative and can arise from cells with extensive self-renewal capability and chemoresistance, frequently termed glioma-propagating cells (GPCs). GPCs are thus the plausible culprits of tumor recurrence. Treatment strategies that eradicate GPCs will greatly improve disease outcome. Such findings support the use of GPCs as in vitro cellular systems for small molecule screening. However, the nuances in utilizing GPCs as a cellular screening platform are not trivial. These slow-growing cells are typically cultured as suspension, spheroid structures in serum-free condition supplemented with growth factors. Consequently, replenishment of growth factors throughout the screening period must occur to maintain cells in their undifferentiated state, as the more lineage-committed, differentiated cells are less tumorigenic. We will present a case study of a small molecule screen conducted with GPCs and explain how unique sphere activity assays were implemented to distinguish drug efficacies against the long-term, self-renewing fraction, as opposed to transient-amplifying progenitors, latter of which are detected in conventional viability assays. We identified Pololike kinase 1 as a regulator of GPC survival. Finally, we leveraged on public glioma databases to illustrate GPC contribution to disease progression and patient survival outcome. Total RNA from primary neurosphere culture of brain tumor specimens were hybridized in baseline condition. Specimens were obtained from 11 patients and replicate arrays were performed for all 11 neurosphere cultures.
Project description:Identification of differently methylated regions of CpG islands in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissue from patients with progression free survival <3 years (worse outcome) vs. patients with PFS >3 years (good outcome, relapse free until last follow up). Patients were homogenous in regard to clinical (FIGO III/IV, serous histology, optimally resected (macroscopically tumor free), platin-taxan chemotherapy) and molecular properties (immunohistochemistry for p16, BRCA1, Ki67 and p53)).
Project description:Gene Expression Classifiers for Minimal Residual Disease and Relapse Free Survival Improve Outcome Prediction and Risk Classification in Children with High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Children's Oncology Group Study
Project description:Gliomas are the most devastating of primary adult malignant brain tumors. These tumors are highly infiltrative and can arise from cells with extensive self-renewal capability and chemoresistance, frequently termed glioma-propagating cells (GPCs). GPCs are thus the plausible culprits of tumor recurrence. Treatment strategies that eradicate GPCs will greatly improve disease outcome. Such findings support the use of GPCs as in vitro cellular systems for small molecule screening. However, the nuances in utilizing GPCs as a cellular screening platform are not trivial. These slow-growing cells are typically cultured as suspension, spheroid structures in serum-free condition supplemented with growth factors. Consequently, replenishment of growth factors throughout the screening period must occur to maintain cells in their undifferentiated state, as the more lineage-committed, differentiated cells are less tumorigenic. We will present a case study of a small molecule screen conducted with GPCs and explain how unique sphere activity assays were implemented to distinguish drug efficacies against the long-term, self-renewing fraction, as opposed to transient-amplifying progenitors, latter of which are detected in conventional viability assays. We identified Pololike kinase 1 as a regulator of GPC survival. Finally, we leveraged on public glioma databases to illustrate GPC contribution to disease progression and patient survival outcome.
Project description:One of the main problems in managing desmoids tumors is their locoregional aggressiveness and their high ability to recur after initial treatment. In our work, with the goal to identify molecular markers that can predict Progression-Free Survival, gene-expression screening was conducted on 128 available independent untreated primary desmoid tumors using cDNA microarray. By analyzing expression profiles, we have identified, for the first time, a gene expression signature that is able to predict Progression-Free Survival. This molecular signature identified two groups with clearly distinct Progression-Free Survival in the two sets of subjects. Patients in good prognostic group had achieved a progression-free 2-year survival rate of 86% while patients in poor prognostic group had a progression-free 2-year survival rate of 44%.
Project description:We investigated the biological features of FL and their relationship to patients’ outcome. Gene expression analysis was carried out on diagnosis biopsies from 148 follicular lymphoma patients enrolled in the PRIMA clinical trial. We developed a gene expression-based predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) in high-tumour burden FL patients and we analysed gene-expression signatures reflecting different aspects of tumour biology for their association with outcome. proposition SH: We investigated the biological features of FL and their relationship to patients’ outcome. Gene expression analysis was carried out on diagnosis biopsies from 148 follicular lymphoma patients enrolled in the PRIMA clinical trial. We developed a gene expression-based predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) in high-tumour burden FL patients and we analysed gene-expression signatures reflecting different aspects of tumour biology for their association with outcome.
Project description:Metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) has a dismal prognosis, with first line systemic therapy relying primarily on FOLFIRINOX (5FU/irinotecan/oxaliplatin) or AG (Gemcitabine/Nab-Paclitaxel). Therapeutic options for mPC refractory to these regimens remain poorly-defined, and data on later lines options are scare. This prospective, single-arm study (NCT05481463) evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of combining the anti-angiogenic agent surufatinib with the cytotoxic drug TAS-102 (Trifluridine/Tipiracil) in mPC patients who had progressed on ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy. Primary and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety. Among 20 patients analyzed for efficacy, median PFS was 2.35 months (95% CI: 1.91-3.94) and median OS was 6.34 months (95% CI: 3.81-10.09). The ORR and DCR were 20% (4/20; all partial response) and 30% (6/20), respectively. All patients experienced treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs), with anemia (59.1%), neutropenia (54.6%), leukopenia (50.0%), and lymphopenia (45.5%) as the most common any-grade events. Grade ≥3 TEAEs including neutropenia (31.8%), lymphopenia (13.6%), and anemia (9.1%), were observed in 50.0% (11/22) of patients. Subgroup analysis identified metastases involving > 2 organs or hepatic sites as potential predicative biomarkers for inferior efficacy. Proteomic screening revealed that overexpressed OCIAD2 correlated with poor prognosis, a finding validated in two publicly available external cohorts (CPTAC database and RuiJin cohort). In conclusion, combination of TAS-102 and surufatinib demonstrates clinically meaningful efficacy and manageable toxicity as a later line therapeutic option for refractory mPC. The biomarkers identified in this study may hold the potential to guide patient stratification and warrant further investigation to optimize precision application of this regimen.
Project description:The overexpression of the DNA repair protein apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is an important cause of poor outcome and its expression is able to predict the progression-free and overall survival in patients receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy. Recently, we have demonstrated APE1 involvement in miRNA biogenesis related to cancer progression.
Project description:Trastuzumab improves survival outcomes in patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. Some of these patients may become long-term survivors. The Long-Her study was designed to identify clinical and molecular markers that could differentiate long-term survivors from patients having early progression to trastuzumab. 103 patients were registered in the Long-HER study, of whom 71 had obtained a durable complete response. Median age was 58 years. Metastatic disease was diagnosed after a median of 24.7 months since primary diagnosis. Sixty-five per cent of tumours were poorly differentiated ductal carcinomas and hormonal receptors were present in 47%. Metastases were present in the liver (25%), lungs (25%), bones (23%) and soft tissues (23%), with 20% of patients having multiple locations of metastases. Median progression-free survival was 10.6 years after the diagnosis of metastatic disease. Absence of trastuzumab as part of adjuvant therapy was the only clinical factor associated with long-term survival . Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that genes involved in HIF activation, EGF receptor signalling pathway, PI3 kinase pathway, apoptosis signalling pathway and p53 pathway significantly correlated with response. The PI3K pathway was the most strongly associated with poor response to trastuzumab-based therapy: tumours in the control group usually had four or five alterations in this pathway, whereas tumours in the Long-HER group had two alterations at most. These findings support that trastuzumab may provide a substantial long-term survival benefit in a selected group of patients. Whole genome expression analysis comparing long-term survivors vs. a control group predicted early progression to trastuzumab-based therapy. Multiple alterations in genes related to the PI3K-mTOR pathway seem to be required to confer resistance to this therapy. 53 FFPE samples, which passed the RNA quality control criteria, were analyzed (45 primary tumours and 8 metastases). Among these 53 samples, 35 samples corresponded to long-term responders and 18 to the control group.