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
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
New
Pipette Calibration System
Artel PCS®
New
CMV CLIA Diagnostic
CLIA CMV IgA Screen Group
Latest Pathology News
- 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
- Single Sample Classifier Predicts Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Subtypes in Patient Samples
- New AI-Driven Platform Standardizes Tuberculosis Smear Microscopy Workflow
- AI Tool Uses Blood Biomarkers to Predict Transplant Complications Before Symptoms Appear
- High-Resolution Cancer Virus Imaging Uncovers Potential Therapeutic Targets
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
New CLIA Status Brings Mass Spectrometry Steroid Testing to Routine Labs
Steroid hormone measurement is a core application of clinical mass spectrometry, which is widely regarded as a diagnostic gold standard. Access to these high-specificity methods has often been constrained... Read more
Study Shows Dual Biomarkers Improve Accuracy of Alzheimer’s Detection
Alzheimer’s disease develops slowly, and biological changes can appear in blood many years before symptoms. While plasma assays for phosphorylated tau offer earlier detection, discerning whether these... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
New Molecular Test Boosts Accuracy of Bile Duct Cancer Diagnosis
Bile duct strictures can arise from cancer or benign disease, but their location within ducts connecting the liver, gallbladder, and intestines complicates evaluation. Standard biopsy and cytology may... Read more
Adaptive PCR Platform Improves Consistency in Small-Batch NGS Workflows
PCR amplification during next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation can introduce variability, often requiring manual quantification and risking over-cycling artifacts. The issue is especially... Read more
First IVDR‑Certified IGH Clonality Assay Supports Diagnosis of B-Cell Malignancies
Accurate identification of clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangements is central to evaluating suspected B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, where a single B-cell clone yields a defining... Read more
Hematology
view channel
Rapid Cartridge-Based Test Aims to Expand Access to Hemoglobin Disorder Diagnosis
Sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia are hemoglobin disorders that often require referral to specialized laboratories for definitive diagnosis, delaying results for patients and clinicians.... Read more
New Guidelines Aim to Improve AL Amyloidosis Diagnosis
Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare, life-threatening bone marrow disorder in which abnormal amyloid proteins accumulate in organs. Approximately 3,260 people in the United States are diagnosed... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
Rapid Urine Test Speeds Antibiotic Selection for UTIs
Urinary tract infections are a common reason for antibiotic prescribing and have led to more than 800,000 hospital admissions across England in the past five years, according to National Health Service data.... Read more
WHO Endorses Rapid Point-of-Care Testing to Improve TB Detection
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading infectious killer, with more than 3,300 deaths and 29,000 new illnesses every day. Diagnostic delays and dependence on centralized laboratory networks continue to impede... Read more
Pathology
view channel
AI-Based Pathology Model Guides Chemotherapy Decisions in Breast Cancer
Selecting adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer remains a difficult decision because only a subset benefits and many undergo toxicity without gain. Genomic assays can help but are costly,... Read more
Biopsy-Based Gene Test Predicts Recurrence Risk in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, killing more people in the United States than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined. In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), tumors that invade nearby blood... Read more
Technology
view channel
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
Lunit and CellCarta Collaborate to Expand AI Pathology in CDx Development
Lunit (Seoul, South Korea), a leading provider of AI for cancer diagnostics and precision oncology, and CellCarta (Montreal, QC, Canada), a global contract research organization (CRO) laboratory serving... Read more
