RUSSIAN GENETICS PROPOSED A METHOD FOR PREDICTION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREOPERATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY FOR LUMINAL-SUBTYPE BREAST CANCER
23.07.2020
Pre-treatment (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy is given to reduce the volume of the tumor, which will further reduce the amount of surgery. However, today in 30-60% of cases, preoperative chemotherapy does not bring the expected effect, the reason is that oncologists do not have reliable tools for predicting its effectiveness.
Each tumor is individual and has its own genetic structure. That is why the developments of geneticists are crucial for the creation of the most effective approaches to combating cancer. The research of the epigenetics laboratory of the Moscow State Scientific Center was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
Methylation is the attachment of chemicals, methyl groups, to parts of genes, which "turns them off" from work. Methylation affects the functioning of the genome without disrupting its structure. In the laboratory of epigenetics of the Moscow State Scientific Center, it was proved that the degree of methylation of certain genes can predict the reaction of a tumor to chemotherapy.
The researchers presented the first version of the predictive panel in 2019, it included 12 genes. However, the main value of any diagnosis is high accuracy with a relatively small number of biomarkers. The new panel includes only three genes.
Vladimir Strelnikov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Epigenetics Laboratory of the Moscow State Scientific Center for Scientific Research: “We managed to show that these biomarkers are the most informative and have the greatest predictive value. The diagnostic accuracy of the new panel is 75% with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 75%. No other method today has such a high predictive power. However, this technique cannot become an independent test, it must be used in conjunction with the already used forecasting methods. "
A minimal set of informative biomarkers will shorten the analysis time and make the introduction of a new method less costly. The analysis based on the degree of gene methylation can be carried out in the future using the equipment already available in clinical diagnostic laboratories, without expensive sequencers. Vladimir Strelnikov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Epigenetics Laboratory, Moscow State Scientific Center: “In any case, a tumor biopsy is performed before prescribing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The same tumor material can be analyzed for three methylation markers, which will provide additional information to predict the sensitivity of the tumor to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our work is one of the first of its kind in the world. "
The researchers emphasize that the results require validation on larger samples. This requires close cooperation with cancer centers. If its mechanisms are fine-tuned, the next work will have the level of evidence-based medicine and will herald the introduction of a promising method into practice.
Each tumor is individual and has its own genetic structure. That is why the developments of geneticists are crucial for the creation of the most effective approaches to combating cancer. The research of the epigenetics laboratory of the Moscow State Scientific Center was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
Methylation is the attachment of chemicals, methyl groups, to parts of genes, which "turns them off" from work. Methylation affects the functioning of the genome without disrupting its structure. In the laboratory of epigenetics of the Moscow State Scientific Center, it was proved that the degree of methylation of certain genes can predict the reaction of a tumor to chemotherapy.
The researchers presented the first version of the predictive panel in 2019, it included 12 genes. However, the main value of any diagnosis is high accuracy with a relatively small number of biomarkers. The new panel includes only three genes.
Vladimir Strelnikov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Epigenetics Laboratory of the Moscow State Scientific Center for Scientific Research: “We managed to show that these biomarkers are the most informative and have the greatest predictive value. The diagnostic accuracy of the new panel is 75% with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 75%. No other method today has such a high predictive power. However, this technique cannot become an independent test, it must be used in conjunction with the already used forecasting methods. "
A minimal set of informative biomarkers will shorten the analysis time and make the introduction of a new method less costly. The analysis based on the degree of gene methylation can be carried out in the future using the equipment already available in clinical diagnostic laboratories, without expensive sequencers. Vladimir Strelnikov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Epigenetics Laboratory, Moscow State Scientific Center: “In any case, a tumor biopsy is performed before prescribing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The same tumor material can be analyzed for three methylation markers, which will provide additional information to predict the sensitivity of the tumor to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our work is one of the first of its kind in the world. "
The researchers emphasize that the results require validation on larger samples. This requires close cooperation with cancer centers. If its mechanisms are fine-tuned, the next work will have the level of evidence-based medicine and will herald the introduction of a promising method into practice.
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