scholarly journals Assessment of tumor burden and response to therapy in patients with colorectal cancer using a quantitative ctDNA test for methylated BCAT1/IKZF1

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin L Symonds ◽  
Susanne K Pedersen ◽  
Bernita Yeo ◽  
Hiba Al Naji ◽  
Susan E Byrne ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 3528-3528
Author(s):  
Erin L. Symonds ◽  
Susanne Kartin Pedersen ◽  
Bernita Hui Li Yeo ◽  
Hiba Al Naji ◽  
Susan E. Byrne ◽  
...  

3528 Background: Residual disease after treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a risk for recurrence but imaging and CEA are limited in their capacity to detect residual disease. A simple test is needed for assessing treatment response. This study determined whether levels of methylated BCAT1/IKZF1 DNA in blood correlate with tumor burden and whether post-treatment levels inform efficacy of different treatments for CRC. Methods: Patients with primary CRC had blood collected prior to treatment (n = 282, 59.9% males, median age 68.5y). Cell free DNA (cfDNA) was extracted from plasma and assayed for methylation in BCAT1 and IKZF1. Detection of methylation in either gene deemed a sample positive; levels were expressed as %methylation (average methylation/average cfDNA). Positive patients had additional samples collected post-treatment for early stage CRC (surgery, n = 31), advanced/metastatic CRC (surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy, n = 15), and rectal cancer (neoadjuvant therapy, surgery +/- chemotherapy, n = 6), or following mid-therapy suspension of treatment in advanced CRC (n = 24). Tumor size was expressed as the maximum diameter of the primary (assessed surgically or by MRI). Results: Pretreatment results increased with CRC stage. Positivity by stage was: I, 23.7% (14/59); II, 62.1% (54/87); III, 68.6% (70/102); IV, 85.3% (29/34). Level by stage: I, 0.0%; II, 0.06%; III, 0.07%; IV, 4.07%, p < 0.001). Pretreatment levels correlated significantly with tumor size (r = 0.372, p < 0.001). Post-treatment blood was collected a median 2.4mo (IQR 1.7-3.9) after therapy completion. Positivity decreased after completing treatment (Table), with 88.4% of cases (46/52) becoming ctDNA negative. All cases with complete treatment had a reduction in biomarker levels, whereas in those with incomplete therapy, 54.5% (12/22) remained positive and the pre- and post-treatment levels were not significantly different. Of those positive after treatment, 13 had a further blood sample: 8 had become ctDNA negative and all but one remained disease free. Five remained positive and all had further suspected or confirmed disease. Conclusions: Levels of methylated BCAT1 and IKZF1 DNA in blood correlated with tumor burden; levels became undetectable in the majority of patients following completion of planned curative intent treatment. The methylated ctDNA blood test aids monitoring of responses to therapy and identification of those cases with residual cancer who might benefit from ongoing therapy.[Table: see text]


1986 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 1356-1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Z Patt ◽  
A W Boddie ◽  
C Charnsangavej ◽  
J A Ajani ◽  
S Wallace ◽  
...  

Cisplatin (CDDP) was combined with floxuridine (FUDR) and delivered into the hepatic arteries of 29 patients as induction therapy for colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver. Mitomycin C and FUDR combination was substituted after progression or when response had peaked. Chemotherapy was delivered with an Infusaid pump (Infusaid Corp; Norwood, Mass; 14 patients), Medtronic programmable drug administration device (Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis; two patients), or percutaneously placed catheters (13 patients). Complete disappearance of liver metastases was observed in four patients and 11 additional patients had a partial remission as determined by computed tomography (CT) scan and substantiated at times by angiography, for a total response rate of 52%. Response as determined by imaging techniques coincided with a concurrent decrease in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and improvement in performance status. The severity of tumor burden was correlated with the response to therapy and survival. Among those patients who responded to arterial chemotherapy, differences in disease severity did not significantly influence survival. Median survival among responders with greater than 25% liver replacement by tumor was 14 months (P = .28), compared with 28 months for those patients with less than 25% liver replacement. In contrast, differences in tumor burden significantly affected survival among patients who failed to respond to chemotherapy; median survival among nonresponding patients with greater than 25% liver replacement was 4 months, compared with 8 months for those who had less than 25% liver replacement (P = .01). The presence of minimal extrahepatic disease at the time of initiation of intraarterial treatment did not seem to have a significant detrimental effect on survival. The study suggests that hepatic tumor response to arterial administration of CDDP and FUDR and mitomycin C and FUDR is clinically significant because it overrides the effect of tumor burden on survival among patients who have colorectal cancer with liver metastases and may offer effective palliation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8481
Author(s):  
Silvia Vivarelli ◽  
Luca Falzone ◽  
Saverio Candido ◽  
Benjamin Bonavida ◽  
Massimo Libra

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by genetic heterogeneity and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Therefore, there is a need to identify novel predictive markers. Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a transcription factor playing a dual role in cancer. The present study aimed to investigate whether YY1 expression levels influence CRC cell response to therapy and to identify the transcriptional targets involved. The diagnostic and prognostic values of YY1 and the identified factor(s) in CRC patients were also explored. Silencing of YY1 increased the resistance to 5-Fluorouracil-induced cytotoxicity in two out of four CRC cells with different genotypes. BCL2L15/Bfk pro-apoptotic factor was found selectively expressed in the responder CRC cells and downregulated upon YY1 knockdown. CRC dataset analyses corroborated a tumor-suppressive role for both YY1 and BCL2L15 whose expressions were inversely correlated with aggressiveness. CRC single-cell sequencing dataset analyses demonstrated higher co-expression levels of both YY1 and BCL2L15 within defined tumor cell clusters. Finally, elevated levels of YY1 and BCL2L15 in CRC patients were associated with larger relapse-free survival. Given their observed anti-cancer role, we propose YY1 and BCL2L15 as candidate diagnostic and prognostic CRC biomarkers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A717-A717
Author(s):  
Abigail Overacre-Delgoffe ◽  
Anthony Cillo ◽  
Hannah Bumgarner ◽  
Ansen Burr ◽  
Justin Tometich ◽  
...  

BackgroundColorectal cancer remains one of the most common and deadliest cancers worldwide and effective therapies are lacking. While immunotherapy has revolutionized treatment for many cancers, the overwhelming majority of colorectal cancer patients are non-responsive and the 5-year survival rate for advanced disease is <20%. Immunotherapeutic response has been associated with select members of the microbiome in melanoma; however, the potential benefit in colorectal cancer and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We sought to determine how specific members of the intestinal microbiome affect anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer (CRC) in hopes of discovering novel treatments and revealing potential hurdles to current therapeutic response in CRC patients.MethodsWe utilized a carcinogen-induced mouse model of CRC and colonized half of the tumor-bearing mice with Helicobacter hepaticus (Hhep) 7 weeks post AOM. Tumor number was assessed 12 weeks post AOM. We isolated lymphocytes from the lamina propria, colonic epithelium, mesenteric lymph nodes, and tumor(s) to track the spatial and transcriptional Hhep-specific and endogenous immune responses during tumor progression through 5’ single cell RNAseq, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. In addition, we utilized 16S sequencing and FISH to track Hhep colonization, location within the colon, and its impact on the surrounding microbiome.ResultsWe have found that rational modification of the microbiome of colon tumor-bearing mice through addition of a single bacteria, Hhep, led to tumor control or clearance and a significant survival advantage. Colonization led to the expansion of the lymphatic network and development of numerous peri- or intra-tumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) composed of Hhep-specific CD4 T follicular helper cells (TFH) as well as the bacteria itself. This led to an overall ‘heating’ of the tumor, wherein we saw an increase of CD4 T cell infiltration to the tumor core as well as an increase in CD103+ type 1 DC (cDC1) recruitment through increased chemokines such as CCL5 and XCL1. Hhep-specific TFH were both necessary and sufficient to drive TLS formation, increased immune invasion, and anti-tumor immunity.ConclusionsWe have shown that addition of a single bacteria, Hhep, leads to a reduction in CRC tumor burden or clearance through lymphatic expansion, TLS formation, and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, and that Hhep-specific T cells are required for tumor control. These studies suggest that rational modification of the microbiome and microbiome-specific T cells can positively impact anti-tumor immunity and may represent a unique immunotherapeutic target to turn resistant tumors into responsive tumors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagdeep Singh Bhangu ◽  
Hossein Taghizadeh ◽  
Tamara Braunschmid ◽  
Thomas Bachleitner-Hofmann ◽  
Christine Mannhalter

2015 ◽  
Vol 8s1 ◽  
pp. CGM.S21216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan LeGendre-McGhee ◽  
Photini S. Rice ◽  
R. Andrew Wall ◽  
Kyle J. Sprute ◽  
Ramireddy Bommireddy ◽  
...  

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution, nondestructive imaging modality that enables time-serial assessment of adenoma development in the mouse model of colorectal cancer. In this study, OCT was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions with the experimental antitumor agent α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sulindac during early [chemoprevention (CP)] and late stages [chemotherapy (CT)] of colon tumorigenesis. Biological endpoints for drug interventions included OCT-generated tumor number and tumor burden. Immunochistochemistry was used to evaluate biochemical endpoints [Ki-67, cleaved caspase-3, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, β-catenin]. K-Ras codon 12 mutations were studied with polymerase chain reaction-based technique. We demonstrated that OCT imaging significantly correlated with histological analysis of both tumor number and tumor burden for all experimental groups ( P < 0.0001), but allows more accurate and full characterization of tumor number and burden growth rate because of its time-serial, nondestructive nature. DFMO alone or in combination with sulindac suppressed both the tumor number and tumor burden growth rate in the CP setting because of DFMO-mediated decrease in cell proliferation (Ki-67, P < 0.001) and K-RAS mutations frequency ( P = 0.04). In the CT setting, sulindac alone and DFMO/sulindac combination were effective in reducing tumor number, but not tumor burden growth rate. A decrease in COX-2 staining in DFMO/sulindac CT groups (COX-2, P < 0.01) confirmed the treatment effect. Use of nondestructive OCT enabled repeated, quantitative evaluation of tumor number and burden, allowing changes in these parameters to be measured during CP and as a result of CT. In conclusion, OCT is a robust minimally invasive method for monitoring colorectal cancer disease and effectiveness of therapies in mouse models.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 593-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masanori Oshi ◽  
Georgios Antonios Margonis ◽  
Yu Sawada ◽  
Nikolaos Andreatos ◽  
Jin He ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A880-A880
Author(s):  
Abigail Overacre-Delgoffe ◽  
Hannah Bumgarner ◽  
Anthony Cillo ◽  
Ansen Burr ◽  
Justin Tometich ◽  
...  

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and deadly cancers in the US, and the survival rate for advanced cases is poor. While immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, CRC remains largely unresponsive, with only ~6% of patients responding to anti-PD1. Specific microbiome signatures are associated with anti-PD1 response in melanoma patients; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. While the microbiome in cancer patients has been extensively studied, the endogenous immune response to these microbes and the subsequent effects on cancer immunity remain unstudied. Most microbes reside within the gut, and bacteria that adhere to the intestinal epithelium can stimulate bacteria-specific immune responses. Therefore, we hypothesized that the microbiome, especially adherent, immunogenic bacteria, may support anti-tumor immunity through activation of local microbiota-specific T cells.MethodsUsing a carcinogen-induced mouse model of CRC, we sought to determine the impact of microbiome modulation on the anti-tumor immune response. We colonized tumor-bearing mice with Helicobacter hepaticus (Hhep) and assessed tumor burden, survival, and immune infiltration. Lymphocytes were isolated from the tumor and surrounding tissue when tumors were terminal (12 weeks). We utilized TCR transgenic mice and MHC class II tetramers to track the spatial and transcriptional Hhep-specific T cell response through 5’ single cell RNAseq, flow cytometry, and spectral immunofluorescence.ResultsHhep colonization in tumor-bearing mice led to decreased tumor burden and significantly improved survival. Interestingly, colonization induced activation of Hhep-specific T follicular helper cells (TFHs) that supported formation of mature peri- or intra-tumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). The presence of TLS led to increased infiltration of cytotoxic lymphocytes (T and NK cells) within the tumor core. Surprisingly, the anti-tumor response was dependent on CD4+ T and B cells but not CD8+ T cells. Using TFH KO mice, we found that Hhep-specific CD4+ T cells were both necessary and sufficient to drive TLS maturation and anti-tumor immunity.ConclusionsHere, we demonstrate that addition of a single bacterial species after tumor formation leads to a reduction in CRC tumor burden and increased survival through TLS maturation. This microbiome-dependent remodeling of the tumor microenvironment is driven by Hhep-specific TFH cells that are both necessary and sufficient for tumor control, demonstrating for the first time that microbiota-specific T cells contribute to anti-tumor immunity. Overall, these findings suggest that microbiome modulation and the subsequent microbiota-specific CD4+ T cell response may represent a new variety of immunotherapies for cancers that remain resistant to checkpoint blockade.


2012 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Hyslop ◽  
David S. Weinberg ◽  
Stephanie Schulz ◽  
Alan Barkun ◽  
Scott A. Waldman

Author(s):  
Alexander T Sougiannis ◽  
Brandon N. VanderVeen ◽  
Ioulia Chatzistamou ◽  
Jason L Kubinak ◽  
Mitzi Nagarkatti ◽  
...  

Emodin, a natural anthraquinone, has been shown to have anti-tumorigenic properties and may be an effective therapy for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its clinical development has been hampered by a poor understanding of its mechanism of action. The purpose of this study was to 1) evaluate the efficacy of emodin in mouse models of intestinal/colorectal cancer and 2) to examine the impact of emodin on macrophage behavior in the context of CRC. We utilized a genetic model of intestinal cancer (ApcMin/+) and a chemically induced model of CRC (AOM/DSS). Emodin was administered orally (40 mg/kg or 80 mg/kg in AOM/DSS and 80mg/kg in ApcMin/+) 3x/week to observe its preventative effects. Emodin reduced polyp count and size in both rodent models (p<0.05). We further analyzed the colon microenvironment of AOM/DSS mice and found that mice treated with emodin exhibited lower pro-tumorigenic M2-like macrophages and a reduced ratio of M2/M1 macrophages within the colon (p<0.05). Despite this, we did not detect any significant changes in M2-associated cytokines (IL10, IL4, and Tgfb1) nor M1-associated cytokines (IL6, TNFα, IL1β, and IFNγ) within excised polyps. However, there was a significant increase in NOS2 expression (M1 marker) in mice treated with 80 mg/kg emodin (p<0.05). To confirm emodin's effects on macrophages, we exposed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) to C26 colon cancer cell conditioned media. Supporting our in vivo data, emodin reduced M2-like macrophages. Overall, these data support the development of emodin as a natural compound for prevention of CRC given its ability to target pro-tumor macrophages.


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