Novel Biomarker Identified for Two Different Cancers
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 17 Apr 2014 |
|
Image: Histopathology of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (Photo courtesy of Masaryk University).
A new biomarker linked to better outcomes for patients with head and neck cancers and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been identified.
The biomarker could help scientists develop new diagnostics and therapies and help physicians determine the best long-term treatments for patients with these cancers.
Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA) examined tumor samples from 187 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and 60 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). The median follow-up for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for NSCLC patients was 69.0 months and 35.9 months, respectively. The median follow-up for HNSCC patients was 41 months.
The team used antibody-based immunological techniques, cell cultures, immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry and in situ quantification. For tumor analysis, tissue microarrays of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumors and control tissues were used. Each tumor was represented by three distinct cores for NSCLC and two for HNSCC. The nuclear signal intensity was quantified by automated quantitative analysis for NSCLC and Aperio software for HNSCC (Aperio Technologies, Vista, CA, USA).
The investigators found that the expression of a protein called choline phosphate cytidylyltransferase-α CCT-α or CCTα, which acts as an “antigen” that prompts the immune system to produce antibodies against it. CCTα was associated with longer survival rates, including for patients with NSCLC who were treated with surgery alone, without the use of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs and associated toxic side effects.
Laura J. Niedernhofer, MD, PhD, an associate professor and a senior author of the study said, “Based on what we found, a high CCTα expression appears to be indicative of survival, making CCTα a promising biomarker. Our findings suggest that CCTα may, in fact, be more important in determining outcomes in patients with both types of cancer than the already established excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) protein.”
Related Links:
University of Pittsburgh
Aperio Technologies
The biomarker could help scientists develop new diagnostics and therapies and help physicians determine the best long-term treatments for patients with these cancers.
Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA) examined tumor samples from 187 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and 60 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). The median follow-up for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for NSCLC patients was 69.0 months and 35.9 months, respectively. The median follow-up for HNSCC patients was 41 months.
The team used antibody-based immunological techniques, cell cultures, immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry and in situ quantification. For tumor analysis, tissue microarrays of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumors and control tissues were used. Each tumor was represented by three distinct cores for NSCLC and two for HNSCC. The nuclear signal intensity was quantified by automated quantitative analysis for NSCLC and Aperio software for HNSCC (Aperio Technologies, Vista, CA, USA).
The investigators found that the expression of a protein called choline phosphate cytidylyltransferase-α CCT-α or CCTα, which acts as an “antigen” that prompts the immune system to produce antibodies against it. CCTα was associated with longer survival rates, including for patients with NSCLC who were treated with surgery alone, without the use of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs and associated toxic side effects.
Laura J. Niedernhofer, MD, PhD, an associate professor and a senior author of the study said, “Based on what we found, a high CCTα expression appears to be indicative of survival, making CCTα a promising biomarker. Our findings suggest that CCTα may, in fact, be more important in determining outcomes in patients with both types of cancer than the already established excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) protein.”
Related Links:
University of Pittsburgh
Aperio Technologies
New
Gold Member
Nucleic Acid Extractor System
NEOS-96 XT
New
Food Allergy Screening ELISA Kit
Allerquant 14G B ELISA
New
Hematology Consumables
Bioblood Devices
Latest Pathology News
- AI Improves Completeness of Complex Cancer Pathology Reports
- AI Tool Predicts Chemotherapy Response in Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Tumor-Specific Biomarker Predicts Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Response in Gastric Cancer
- AI Tool Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Benefit in Breast Cancer
- AI-Based Pathology Model Guides Chemotherapy Decisions in Breast Cancer
- Biopsy-Based Gene Test Predicts Recurrence Risk in Lung Adenocarcinoma
- New Chromogenic Culture Media Enable Rapid Detection of Candida Infections
- AI-Powered Tool to Transform Dermatopathology Workflow
- AI Tool Predicts Chemotherapy Response from Biopsy Slides
- Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Linked to Faster Cognitive Decline
- World’s First Optical Microneedle Device to Enable Blood-Sampling-Free Clinical Testing
- Novel mcPCR Technology to Transform Testing of Clinical Samples
- Pathogen-Agnostic Testing Reveals Hidden Respiratory Threats in Negative Samples
- Molecular Imaging to Reduce Need for Melanoma Biopsies
- Urine Specimen Collection System Improves Diagnostic Accuracy and Efficiency
- AI-Powered 3D Scanning System Speeds Cancer Screening
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
AI-Enabled POC Test Quantifies Multiple Cardiac Biomarkers
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death, responsible for nearly 20 million deaths each year. Timely triage of myocardial infarction and heart failure hinges on rapid cardiac biomarker measurement,... Read more
Next Generation Automated Analyzers Increase Throughput for Clinical Chemistry and Electrolyte Testing
Clinical laboratories continue to face staffing shortages, limited space, and growing test volumes that pressure chemistry and electrolyte workflows. Maintaining rapid turnaround times increasingly depends... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
Genome Sequencing Identifies Noncoding Variants Causing Neonatal Diabetes
Neonatal diabetes is a rare form of diabetes that presents in the first six months of life and is driven by genetic changes, yet many affected families still lack definitive diagnoses. Genetic studies... Read more
Genetic Markers Predict GLP-1 Weight-Loss Response and Side Effects
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are now widely used for weight management, yet individual responses vary considerably, with some patients experiencing... Read more
Hematology
view channel
Prognostic Tool Guides Personalized Treatment in Rare Blood Cancer
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare blood cancer in which acquired genetic mutations in bone marrow stem cells drive disease. Stem cell transplantation is the only curative option but carries... Read more
New Platelet Function Assay Enables Monitoring of Antiplatelet Therapy
Monitoring response to antiplatelet therapy remains challenging for many clinical laboratories. Aggregation-based assays and cartridge systems often require specialized personnel, dedicated instruments,... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
Cost-Effective Sampling and Sequencing Workflow Identifies ICU Infection Hotspots
Intensive care units face persistent threats from hospital-acquired infections, increasingly driven by drug-resistant bacteria. Rapidly pinpointing environmental reservoirs and transmission hotspots remains... Read more
New Bacterial Target Identified for Early Detection of Noma
Noma is a rapidly progressing orofacial infection that begins as gingivitis and can destroy oral and facial tissues, primarily affecting young children living in extreme poverty. Without treatment, it... Read more
Pathology
view channel
AI Improves Completeness of Complex Cancer Pathology Reports
Oncology teams increasingly rely on pathology reports that integrate histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and rapidly expanding biomarker testing. As patients live longer and undergo repeated analyses... Read more
AI Tool Predicts Chemotherapy Response in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Small cell lung cancer often presents at an extensive stage and progresses rapidly, leaving little time to tailor first-line therapy. Clinicians currently lack biomarkers to guide which patients will benefit... Read more_image.png "Image: Through neoadjuvant therapy combining chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for 46 LAGC patients and single-cell transcriptome sequencing, researchers found that tumor cells in the treatment-sensitive group specifically upregulated MHC-II (tumor-specific major histocompatibility complex class II, tsMHC-II) molecules (photo courtesy of Science China Press)")
Tumor-Specific Biomarker Predicts Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Response in Gastric Cancer
Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, with China bearing nearly half of the global burden. Only a subset of patients benefit from... Read more
Technology
view channel
Noninvasive Sputum Test Detects Early Lung Cancer
Early detection remains critical for improving outcomes in lung cancer, yet clinicians increasingly encounter indeterminate pulmonary nodules found incidentally or through screening, complicating decision-making.... Read more
New AI Tool Enables Rapid Treatment Selection in Pediatric Leukemia
Children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia face an aggressive disease that remains difficult to treat. Although remission rates have improved, many survivors experience long-term effects from intensive... Read more
Breakthrough Mass Spectrometry Design Could Enable Ultra-Low Abundance Detection
Mass spectrometry is central to identifying and quantifying molecules in complex biological samples, but conventional instruments typically analyze ions sequentially, which can limit detection of rare species.... Read more
Industry
view channel
GRAIL Partners with Epic to Integrate Multi-Cancer Test into EHR
GRAIL’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test is being integrated into Epic’s electronic health record (EHR) platform through Epic Aura. The collaboration is designed to let clinicians at interested... Read more
