New technology uses cancer cell behavior rather than genetic information to predict its metastasis

  Researchers and clinicians do not fully understand why certain cancers spread and others do not. What they know is that as cancer spreads, survival rates drop sharply. If doctors can predict the possibility of primary tumor metastasis, then they can choose the best treatment plan for the patient. However, current tests only focus on tumor genetics, because it will mutate and change.

  Chris Jankascus is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He explores cancer from different perspectives by observing the phenotype of cancer cells or observable cell characteristics and behaviors. I want to know if I can predict. Cell migration. Under the guidance of Konstantopos, Konstantopoulos, a core member and professor of the Nanobiology Institute of Nankaskas, and a team of researchers created the microfluidic analysis method To quantify cell infiltration or MAqCI. This is a necessary measure to observe the migration of the two main cells (not tumor genetics) to predict breast cancer metastasis diagnostic tools and methods.

  Yankaskas said: “Due to the complexity of cancer progression and the differences in cancer cells in each patient, it is difficult to predict metastasis based on specific circumstances. Our goal is to use cells from patient biopsy to study breast cancer. Move on. Expand this technology to Other types of cancer."

  Cancer treatment can be troublesome and expensive. Some patients require chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, targeted therapy or a combination of the above. MAqCI helps clinicians and patients determine the most appropriate treatment for advanced cancer and avoid over-treatment of less aggressive cancers.

  In order to develop the device, Yankaskas first trained MAqCI to recognize the characteristic behaviors of normal breast epithelial cells (control group), non-invasive breast cancer cells and invasive/metastatic breast cancer cells. is compulsory. Once these parameters were determined, the research team used independent cell populations including breast cancer patient specimens to verify that MAqCI can correctly measure and characterize cells. This test measures two important cell behaviors required for metastasis. Cell viability (a measure of the ability of cells to migrate to remote locations in the body) and proliferation (the degree of cell proliferation). The results of the study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering show that the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of MAqCI are sufficient to predict whether breast cancer patients will metastasize. Because this technique uses a small sample size and results can be obtained within one or two days, these cells can be isolated and further characterized, so it has clinical application value.

  Another advantage of the

   MAqCI test is that you can observe the observable characteristics of the cells, which is different from genetic screening, it is relatively simple and easy to interpret. It is difficult to predict whether a cancer population can metastasize, and this behavior provides a simpler and more effective prediction.

  Konstantopoulos said: "MAqCI can diagnose the trend of tumor metastasis based on the specific conditions of the patient's personalized treatment, and screen methods for the treatment of metastasis-inducing cells. Currently, the life expectancy of brain cancer patients is testing how to predict. We believe MAqCI It will become an important tool for diagnosis, prognosis and accurate treatment of solid tumor patients.