Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have discovered a potential way to predict the likelihood of early-stage breast cancer spreading by evaluating how “sticky” tumor cells are. This breakthrough, enabled by a specially crafted microfluidic device, could assist doctors in identifying high-risk patients and tailoring treatments to individual needs.
The device, tested in an investigator-initiated trial, functions by moving tumor cells through fluid-filled chambers and sorting them according to their adherence to the chamber walls. In tests on tumor cells from patients at various stages of breast cancer, researchers observed a distinct pattern: cells from individuals with more aggressive cancers were less adhesive (less sticky), while cells from those with less aggressive cancers showed stronger adhesion (more stiky).
These findings were published recently in Cell Reports.
Adam Engler, the senior author of the study and a professor in the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering indicated that what their trial demonstrated is that the adhesive properties of tumor cells could serve as a critical factor in classifying cancers as more or less aggressive. He further indicated that by improving diagnostic accuracy with this method, they could more effectively personalize treatment plans tailored to the specific characteristics of a patient’s tumor.
Researchers of the study pointed out that this project serves as a powerful example of impactful research bridging engineering and medicine. Engler’s bioengineering team collaborated closely with Dr. Anne Wallace, MD, director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, along with her team, who provided patient samples and invaluable support. Crucial funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including grants that back shared resources and facilities at Moores Cancer Center, as well as training grants for student researchers involved in the project, were key to the development of the device and its clinical study.
Engler pointed out that it has been a fantastic partnership with Dr. Wallace and Moores Cancer Center.
He further indicated that their support has been essential for advancing investigator-initiated trials like this. They are also incredibly thankful for the various funding sources that sustain facilities, training, and lab work, all of which make research like this possible.
Previous studies by Engler’s lab, in partnership with Wallace and her team, had already shown that cancer cells with weak adhesion are more likely to migrate and invade other tissues compared to those with strong adhesion. Building on this, the interdisciplinary team has now applied this finding to patient tumors, revealing that the adhesion strength of tumor cells varies. The next step will be to explore whether adhesion strength can predict whether a patient’s cancer is likely to spread.
In their most recent research, the team investigated cell adhesion in early-stage breast cancer known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Often referred to as stage zero breast cancer, DCIS can remain non-threatening, confined to the milk ducts. However, in some cases, it evolves into invasive breast cancer, which can be potentially life-threatening. For years, scientists and doctors have struggled to identify which cases require aggressive treatment and which can be monitored, but clear answers have been difficult to find.
Currently, clinical decisions are based largely on the size and grade of the DCIS lesion, but these factors don’t always offer a reliable indication of how the condition will progress.
“Having a mechanism to better predict which DCIS is going to behave more aggressively, such as is seen with this adhesion model, could hold great promise to help us more aggressively treat this type of cancer,” explained Wallace. “We don’t want to over-treat with aggressive surgery, medicines and radiation if not necessary, but we need to utilize those when the cancer has higher invasive potential. We want to continue to personalize therapy.”
