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Can Clinicians Use T Cells to Detect Early-Stage Cancers?

Researchers observed quantifiable changes of selected T-cell receptors in blood samples of patients with high-grade ovarian cancer, and they found that these changes were strongest during stage 1 of the disease.
The findings:
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia researchers identified T-cell biomarkers in the immune system that could pave the way for the lifesaving early detection of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC). The research team observed quantifiable changes of selected T-cell receptors in blood samples of patients with high-grade ovarian cancer, and they found that these changes were strongest during stage 1 of the disease. The biomarkers could be detected in the blood up to four years before conventional diagnosis.
Why it matters:
High-grade serous ovarian cancer is the most common type of ovarian cancer and a major cause of death in adult women. While treatable when caught early, there is currently no screening method to diagnose the disease before it reaches an advanced stage. Existing blood biomarkers and imaging tests are not sensitive enough to detect early-stage ovarian tumors, which are microscopic and originate from the fallopian tube.
Although CHOP is a pediatric environment, its research arm is dedicated to helping children thrive into adulthood. By investigating topics such as ovarian cancer diagnostics, CHOP researchers are advancing wellness across the lifespan.
Who conducted the study:
Bo Li, PhD, a core faculty member in CHOP's Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, led the study, alongside researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. CHOP co-authors included Xuexin Yu, PhD, and Mingyao Pan, PhD, of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at CHOP and the Department of Pathology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
How they did it:
The researchers analyzed 466 blood T-cell receptor samples from patients with ovarian cancer and healthy controls. Using computational methods previously developed at CHOP, they identified four biomarkers that signal high-grade ovarian cancer in its early stages. When analyzing pre-diagnostic samples from patients, the researchers found that a measurable immune reaction that could be detected two to four years earlier than current diagnostic tests.
Quick thoughts:
"Stage-1 high-grade ovarian cancer has a survival rate of over 90%, while the survival rate quickly drops below 30% for patients in advanced stages of the disease. That's why ovarian cancer is seen as a Holy Grail problem in early detection," Dr. Li said. "What we've identified is how the immune system reacts when there is an early-stage cancer signal. Identifying those T-cell biomarkers has required the development of computational methods that we have been optimizing for many years."
What's next:
Future research will explore how to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the biomarker test to minimize false positives. Researchers hope to recruit more patients and gather more blood samples for future studies, with an ultimate goal of detecting early-stage ovarian cancers.
Where the study was published:
The study appeared in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.