New method to analyze molecular activity of cancer drugs for solid tumors using skin biopsies

A research team today reported clinical results of a new method for analyzing the molecular activity of cancer drugs for solid tumors using skin biopsies. The approach, enabled by Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi)'s imaging and analysis systems, was presented in a poster session at the American Association of Cancer Research's (AACR) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.

“This research underscores the ability of CRi's optical imaging and analysis systems to provide innovative tools to advance cancer drug development”

"This research underscores the ability of CRi's optical imaging and analysis systems to provide innovative tools to advance cancer drug development," said George Abe, President and CEO of CRi. "The study relies on the ability of our multispectral imaging and analysis systems, specifically Nuance and inForm, to discriminate between multiple, co-localized markers in intact tissue."

Study Details

The study presented was a phase 1b trial to assess whether increased levels of a protein called pCDC2 could serve as a biomarker for molecular target engagement for inhibitors of a cell division cycle-related protein called Wee kinases, especially used in combination with DNA damaging agents. The researchers collected biopsies from 32 patients at three time points before and after infusions of chemotherapy regimens containing gemcitabine, cisplatin or carboplatin.

The researchers used the CRi Nuance FX system to conduct multiplex analyses of phosphorylated CDC2 and total CDC2 protein. The analyses were conducted on cells of the epidermis, hair follicle and hair bulb. All three pre-specified primary analysis parameters detected significant induction of CDC2 phosphorylation in response to chemotherapy over the time course. Of the tissues studied, the epidermis was most consistently evaluable across the skin biopsies and demonstrated strong induction of CDC2 phosphorylation. Increases in pCDC2 were also observed for hair follicles and bulbs, but these tissues were present in fewer biopsies than epidermis, limiting the number of informative specimens.

The study is entitled "A phase 1b study to evaluate induction of pCDC2 in skin biopsies from patients with solid tumors treated with DNA-damaging chemotherapy." The authors on the study include Amy Sun, Raymond Lamb, Robert Iannone, Gary Herman, Amy Harmon, and Donald Bergstrom, of Merck Research Laboratories, Anna C. Pavlick of the NYU Cancer Institute, and Lisa M. Dauffenbach and Christopher A. Kerfoot of Mosaic Laboratories.

SOURCE Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi)