Project description:Plasma samples from 100 early stage (I to IIIA) non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and 100 non-cancer controls were screened for 754 circulating microRNAs via qRT-PCR, using TaqMan MicroRNA Arrays. Our objective was to identify a panel of circulating microRNAs in plasma that will contribute to early detection of lung cancer.
Project description:This study was originally designed to have a general overview of differentially expressed ncRNAs including miRNAs, circRNAs and lncRNAs, from circulating exosomes in SCI rats in comparison with the control rats.
Project description:We developed an enrichment-free, metabolic-based assay for rapid detection of tumor cells in the pleural effusion and peripheral blood samples. All nucleated cells are plated on microwell chips that contain 200,000 addressable microwells and then screened the chips. After candidate tumor cells were identified, retrieved single tumor cells with micromanipultor. To detection and analysis molecular characterization of these circulating tumor cells, we performed single cell whole genome amplification with multiple displacement amplification (MDA) technology and whole exome sequencing.
Project description:Background: The lack of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic biomarkers is a major contributor to the poor outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We sought to develop a non-invasive diagnostic approach using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for the early detection of HCC. Methods: Applying the 5hmC-Seal technique, we obtained genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC) in cfDNA samples from 2,554 Chinese subjects: 1,204 HCC patients, 392 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) or liver cirrhosis (LC), and 958 healthy individuals and patients with benign liver lesions. A diagnostic model for early HCC was developed through case-control analyses using the elastic net regularization for feature selection. Results: The 5hmC-Seal data from HCC patients showed a genome-wide distribution enriched with liver-derived enhancer marks. We developed a 32-gene diagnostic model that accurately distinguished early HCC (stage 0/A) based on the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system from non-HCC (validation set: AUC = 88.4%; 95% CI, 85.8-91.1%), showing superior performance over α-fetoprotein (AFP). Besides detecting patients with early stage or small tumors (e.g., ≤ 2.0 cm) from non-HCC, the 5hmC model showed high capacity for distinguishing early HCC from high risk subjects with CHB or LC history (validation set: AUC = 84.6%; 95% CI, 80.6-88.7%), also significantly outperforming AFP. Furthermore, the 5hmC diagnostic model appeared to be independent from potential confounders (e.g., smoking/alcohol intake history). Conclusions: We have developed and validated a non-invasive approach with clinical application potential for the early detection of HCC that are still surgically resectable in high risk individuals.
Project description:Circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) in human plasma represents a potential new avenue for cancer detection. We report the Low-Input Multiple Methylation Sequencing (LIME-seq) to profile methylation patterns within cfRNA, detecting diverse tRNAs and small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) originating from both the human genome and microbiome. Unlike abundance profiles through cfRNA/cfDNA shaped by microbial turnover, we find that methylation patterns in microbiome-derived cfRNA accurately reflect microbiota activity within the host, offering a unique class of non-invasive biomarkers with highly promising early colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis potential.
Project description:Early detection and intervention are likely to be the most effective means for reducing morbidity and mortality of human cancer. However, development of methods for noninvasive detection of early-stage tumors has remained a challenge. We have developed an approach called targeted error correction sequencing (TEC-Seq) that allows ultrasensitive direct evaluation of sequence changes in circulating cell-free DNA using massively parallel sequencing. We have used this approach to examine 58 cancer-related genes encompassing 81 kb. Analysis of plasma from 44 healthy individuals identified genomic changes related to clonal hematopoiesis in 16% of asymptomatic individuals but no alterations in driver genes related to solid cancers. Evaluation of 200 patients with colorectal, breast, lung, or ovarian cancer detected somatic mutations in the plasma of 71, 59, 59, and 68%, respectively, of patients with stage I or II disease. Analyses of mutations in the circulation revealed high concordance with alterations in the tumors of these patients. In patients with resectable colorectal cancers, higher amounts of preoperative circulating tumor DNA were associated with disease recurrence and decreased overall survival. These analyses provide a broadly applicable approach for noninvasive detection of early-stage tumors that may be useful for screening and management of patients with cancer.