Month: April 2024

ECM Turnover Biomarkers as Prognostic Tools in Immunotherapy for Solid Tumors

Posted on by Claire Hornung

Non-invasive biomarkers of ECM turnover are prognostic for combinations of checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy in solid tumors

Introduction

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are being investigated in many different combinations (Table 1) but only a fraction of patients respond. This highlights the need for prognostic biomarkers that can help identify patients most likely to respond. Tumor fibrosis and the high collagen/ECM turnover in the tumor microenvironment – processes are closely related to response to ICIs and survival outcomes.

In this study we investigated the clinical utility of non-invasive biomarkers of collagen-1 (reC1M), collagen-III (nordicPRO-C3™), collagen-4 (C4M), collagen-19 (PRO-C19), collagen-20 (PRO-C20) and TGF-β activity in metastatic cancer patients treated with ICIs.

Poster

AACR2024 ECM turnover_Nordic BioscienceDownload

Conclusion

Across a diverse cohort of patients with metastatic cancer treated with different checkpoint inhibition regimens, non-invasive biomarkers associated with tumor fibrosis and collagen/ECM turnover (nordicPRO-C3™, PRO-C19, PRO-C20, TGF-β, reC1M and C4M) could identify cancer patients with poor prognosis.

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    Unraveling Collagen Signatures in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts

    Posted on by Claire Hornung

    Unraveling collagen signatures in cancer-associated fibroblasts: A biomarker-driven approach

    Introduction

    The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in driving tumor development. Among the constituents of the tumor stroma, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a pivotal component.
    CAFs are actively involved in tumor progression by modulating the architecture of the TME through increased deposition of various collagens resulting in tumor fibrosis. Several studies have shown that CAFs have heterogeneity within, and between, individual tissues. TGF-β is thought to be the main driver of tumor fibrosis, however, the field lacks a characterization of the specific collagen deposition of CAFs from different tissues.

    In this study, we investigated the fibrotic activity of CAFs from various tissues by measuring the production of three specific collagen peptides in vitro by use of non-invasive clinically validated biomarkers.

    Poster

    AACR2024 CAFs_Collagen Signatures_Nordic BioscienceDownload

    Conclusion

    These findings underscore the heterogeneity in collagen production among CAFs from different indications, providing valuable insights into the ECM dynamics within distinct TMEs. Collagen-based non-invasive biomarkers further demonstrate the capability to differentiate between the fibrotic activity of CAFs isolated from different tissues. These insights support the utility of this model as a useful tool for anti-fibrotic drug screening.

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