Description
Insights on
cisplatin-resistant cell populations through mass cytometry analysis of
ovarian cancer
Julia Casado1,
Katja Kaipio2, Luca Pasquini3, Rainer Lehtonen1,
Mauro Biffoni3, Olli Càrpen2, Sampsa Hautaniemi1
1Research
Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki; 2Department
of Pathology, University of Turku; 3Istituto Superiore di Sanità,
Department of Haematology
High-grade serous ovarian cancer
(HGSOC) is an aggressive gynecological cancer and the most common subtype of
ovarian cancer. Despite primary debulking surgery and platinum-based treatments
more than half of the patients die within five years after diagnosis [1]. High
intra-tumoral heterogeneity, a common characteristic of HGSOC, is a hallmark of
chemoresistance [2]. A detailed characterisation of the specific cancer clones
that drive resistance to platinum therapies is therefore needed in order to
predict the prognosis and describe cell population profiles for future
patients.
Here, we utilized a comprehensive
mass cytometry analysis with a panel of 27 antibodies to identify these cell
populations as part of the HERCULES EU project. We studied samples taken at two
time points, at the time of primary debulking surgery and at disease
progression. Tumor profiles across time points were described using our novel
computational framework which integrates state of the art methods in the field
and interactive visualization tools.
Identifying the key features of
each cell population provides an insight into the chemoresistance potential of
a given tumor. These results will help clinicians predict prognosis and suggest
personalized therapies targeting cisplatin resistant cell populations thus improving
disease outcome.
This project has received funding
from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under
grant agreement No 667403, as well as Academy of Finland grants 305087 and
284598.
[1]. Usha Nagavarapu. Therapies
and Diagnostics for Ovarian Cancer. BCC Research, June 2013. HLC143A.
[2]. Schwarz et al. Spatial
and Temporal Heterogeneity in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer: A Phylogenetic
Analysis. PLOS Med doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001789