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The development of point-of-care bioassays for sensitive screening of protein-based cancer biomarkers would improve the opportunity for early stage diagnosis. A strategy for a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based bioassay has been investigated that makes use of modified cellulose paper for the detection of an epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), which is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is overexpressed in several tumors of epithelial origin. The paper matrix was a substrate for immobilized aptamer-linked quantum dots (QDs-Apt) and Cy3 labeled complementary DNA (cDNA), which served as a donor and an acceptor, respectively. Competitive binding of EpCAM displaced the cDNA, resulting in the reduction of FRET. The paper-based bioassay was able to detect EpCAM in buffer solution as well as in 10% bovine serum solution using a reaction time of no more than 60 minutes. The dynamic range was 1-100 nM in buffer with a precision better than 4%, and the limit of detection was 250 pM in buffer and 600 pM in 10% serum.

The focus of this work is toward the development of a point-of-care (POC) handheld technology for the noninvasive early detection of salivary biomarkers. The initial of focus was the detection and quantification of S100 calcium-binding protein P (S100P) mRNA found in whole saliva for use as a potential biomarker for oral cancer. Specifically, a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based approach and assay were designed, developed, and tested for sensitive and rapid detection of S100P mRNA. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with oligonucleotides and malachite green isothiocyanate was then used as a Raman reporter molecule. The hybridization of S100P target to DNA-conjugated AuNPs in sandwich assay format in both free solution and a vertical flow chip (VFC) was confirmed using a handheld SERS system. The detection limit of the SERS-based assay in free solution was determined to be 1.1 nM, whereas on the VFC the detection limit was observed to be 10 nM. SERS-based VFCs were also used to quantify the S100P mRNA from saliva samples of oral cancer patients and a healthy group. The result indicated that the amount of S100P mRNA detected for the oral cancer patients is three times higher than that of a healthy group.

Aims—The relation between lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) and invasive breast cancer is unresolved. In an attempt to establish whether LCIS is a precursor of invasive cancer the mutational status and the expression of E-cadherin was analysed in LCIS and associated invasive breast carcinoma in 23 patients. Methods—Foci of LCIS and associated invasive carcinoma were individually microdissected from tissue from 23 patients. Exons 4–16 of the E-cadherin gene were analysed using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP); protein expression and the localisation of E-cadherin and β-catenin were assessed with the use of immunohistochemistry. Results—Immunohistochemistry revealed a lack of expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in most LCIS samples and invasive foci. In all but four cases, the staining pattern was identical in the LCIS and associated invasive areas. When E-cadherin was absent, β-catenin was also undetected, suggesting a lack of expression of alternative classic cadherin members in these lesions. Coincident E-cadherin mutations in LCIS and associated invasive carcinoma were not identified in this series of patients. However, mutational analysis of E-cadherin in multiple foci of carcinoma in situ surrounding an invasive lesion provided evidence to support ductal carcinoma in situ as a precursor of invasive ductal carcinoma. Conclusion—These data support the hypothesis that LCIS is not a precursor of invasive breast carcinoma but a marker of increased risk of developing invasive disease.

Aims—To investigate the expression of the imprinted oncofetal H19 gene in human bladder carcinoma and to examine the possibility of using it as a tumour marker, similar to other oncofetal gene products. Methods—In situ hybridisation for H19 RNA was performed on 61 first biopsies of bladder carcinoma from Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem. The intensity of the reaction and the number of tumour cells expressing H19 in each biopsy were evaluated in 56 patients, excluding biopsies with carcinoma in situ. The medical files were searched for demographic data and disease free survival. Results—More than 5% of cells expressed H19 in 47 of the 56 (84%) biopsies. There was a decrease in the number of cells expressing H19 with increasing tumour grade (loss of differentiation) (p = 0.03). Disease free survival from the first biopsy to first recurrence was significantly shorter in patients with tumours having a larger fraction of H19 expressing cells, controlling for tumour grade. This was also supported by the selective analysis of tumour recurrence in patients with grade I tumours. Conclusions—It might be possible to use H19 as a prognostic tumour marker for the early recurrence of bladder cancer. In addition, for the gene therapy of bladder carcinoma that is based on the transcriptional regulatory sequences of H19, the expression of H19 in an individual biopsy could be considered a predictive tumour marker for selecting those patients who would benefit from this form of treatment.

Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) appear to prolong survival of patients with cancer. Such a beneficial effect is thought to be associated with interruption of molecular mechanisms involving the heparan sulfate (HS) chains of cell surface and extracellular matrix proteoglycans (HSPGs), growth factors and their receptors, heparanase, and selectins. The beneficial effects of heparin species could also be associated with their ability to release tissue factor pathway inhibitor from endothelium. The utility of heparin and LMWH as anticancer drugs is limited due to their anticoagulant properties. Non-anticoagulant heparins can be obtained either by removing chains containing the antithrombin-binding sequence, or by inactivating critical functional groups or units of this sequence. The non-anticoagulant heparins most extensively studied are regioselectively desulfated heparins and ‘glycol-split’ heparins. Some modified heparins of both types are potent inhibitors of heparanase. A number of them also attenuate metastasis in experimental models. With cancer cells overexpressing selectins, heparin-mediated inhibition of tumor cells-platelets aggregation and tumor cell interaction with the vascular endothelium appears to be the prevalent mechanism of attenuation of early stages of metastasis. The structural requirements for inhibition of growth factors, heparanase, and selectins by heparin derivatives are somewhat different for the different activities. An N-acetylated, glycol-split heparin provides an example of application of a non-anticoagulant heparin that inhibits cancer in animal models without unwanted side effects. Delivery of this compound to mice bearing established myeloma tumors dramatically blocked tumor growth and progression.

Aims—Laser capture microdissection is a recent development that enables the isolation of specific cell types for subsequent molecular analysis. This study describes a method for obtaining proteome information from laser capture microdissected tissue using colon cancer as a model. Methods—Laser capture microdissection was performed on toluidine blue stained frozen sections of colon cancer. Tumour cells were selectively microdissected. Conditions were established for solubilising proteins from laser microdissected samples and these proteins were separated by two dimensional gel electrophoresis. Individual protein spots were cut from the gel, characterised by mass spectrometry, and identified by database searching. These results were compared with protein expression patterns and mass spectroscopic data obtained from bulk tumour samples run in parallel. Results—Proteins could be recovered from laser capture microdissected tissue in a form suitable for two dimensional gel electrophoresis. The solubilised proteins retained their expected electrophoretic mobility in two dimensional gels as compared with bulk samples, and mass spectrometric analysis was also unaffected. Conclusion—A method for performing two dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry using laser capture microdissected tissue has been developed.

Background/Aims—The occurrence of myeloid leukaemia in patients with systemic mastocytosis is a well recognised phenomenon. However, the pathophysiological basis of such a coevolution has not been clarified. Recent data have shown that the c-kit mutation Asp 816 to Val is detectable in neoplastic mast cells in most patients with systemic mastocytosis, including those who have associated haematological disorders. The aim of this study was to study clonal disease evolution by analysing bone marrow cells from a patient with systemic mastocytosis and associated chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) for the presence of this mutation. Methods—The DNA of microdissected bone marrow cells from a patient with systemic mastocytosis and associated CMML was analysed for the presence of the c-kit mutation Asp 816 to Val by means of HinfI digestion and direct sequencing of semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. Results—The two neoplasms could easily be identified and discriminated in paraffin wax embedded bone marrow sections by tryptase and chloroacetate esterase staining. A total number of 10 tryptase positive systemic mastocytosis infiltrates and 10 tryptase negative CMML infiltrates were removed by microdissection. As assessed by HinfI digestion and direct sequencing of semi-nested PCR products, the c-kit mutation Asp 816 to Val was detected in five of seven systemic mastocytosis infiltrates and four of six CMML infiltrates. By contrast, no c-kit mutation Asp 816 to Val was found in bone marrow infiltrates in patients with CMML without associated systemic mastocytosis (n = 20). Conclusion—These data support a monoclonal evolution of systemic mastocytosis and concurrent CMML in the patient studied.

Peanut agglutinin (PNA) binding glycoproteins from four Hodgkin's desease (HD)-derived cell lines and a variety of cell lines/peripheral blood cells representative of the lymphoid and myeloid lineages were identified by probing nitrocellulose membranes of SDS-PAGE separated NP40 solubilized cellular glycoproteins with [125I]-labelled PNA. The two Hodgkin's cell lines Ho and L428 demonstrated the most heterogeneous glycoprotein profiles each expressing 15 PNA binding glycoproteins, respectively. The two remaining Hodgkin's lines Co and L591 expressed only four glycoproteins each and these were all also commonly expressed by Ho and L428. Comparative analysis with all other cell types studied revealed the expression of five glycoproteins restricted to Ho (gp42, gp40, gp38, gp24 and gp22) and six restricted to L428 (gp180, gp75, gp40, gp38, gp24 and gp22). Four of these, gp40, gp38, gp24 and gp22 were commonly expressed by both Ho and L428. Of cell lines of myeloid lineage studied only the erythroleukemia cell line K562 expressed detectable glycoproteins also expressed by some of the Hodgkin's cell lines (gp 110, gp96, gp50 and gp45). Only one glycoprotein, gp20 expressed by Ho was also commonly expressed by normal peripheral blood granulocytes. This limited study has thus succeeded in demonstrating for the range of cell types studied, that some glycoproteins with terminal d-galactose β (1 3) N-acetyl galactosamine oligosaccharide sequences are apparently restricted to two of the HD cell lines. Moreover, the heterogeneous glycoprotein profiles obtained for the HD cell lines Ho and L428 suggests that galactosylation processes in these two cell lines is aberrant.