Plasma Extracellular Vesicle-Associated enolase 1 as a Diagnostic Biomarker for Early-Stage 1 Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT: For successful treatment of breast cancer, early and efficient diagnosis is paramount. However, the diagnosis of breast cancer in the earliest stage, stage 1, is challenging as small tumors are often left undetected by conventional imaging techniques. Additionally, 8 out of 10 breast masses are classified as benign which causes unnecessary psychological stress and increased costs to the medical system. To improve the detection of early-stage breast cancer, development of non-invasive approaches should be explored. Here, we investigated the potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) to report on a breast cancer diagnosis. EVs contain unique cancer-associated proteins from the parental cell and have the potential to be used for early detection of tumor growth. We isolated EVs from healthy (19), benign (19), and early-stage breast cancer (86) patient plasma samples using size exclusion chromatography. Mass spectrometry analysis identified 94 significantly changed proteins in the plasma EVs from breast cancer patients . Using a cohort of pre- and post-surgery breast cancer patients, we identified enolase 1 as a promising biomarker for breast cancer detection. Enolase 1 was further validated using a larger cohort of healthy and breast cancer patients, by high-throughput ELISA of plasma, and was found to be elevated in breast cancer patient plasma at all stages, including Stage 1. Furthermore, enolase-1 plasma levels decreased post-operatively upon tumor removal. An enolase 1 liquid blood biopsy could be used to support breast cancer screening for the identification of high-risk individuals promoting the diagnosis of breast cancer at the very earliest and treatable stage. Furthermore, plasma-enolase 1 can decipher between individuals with a benign or cancerous mass, it could therefore be used alongside current imaging practices to direct physician decisions to carry out only necessary needle biopsy procedures.

INSTRUMENT(S): impact II

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (ncbitaxon:9606)

SUBMITTER: Karla C. Williams  

PROVIDER: MSV000097016 | MassIVE | Fri Jan 31 09:40:00 GMT 2025

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PXD060401

REPOSITORIES: MassIVE