Abstract 1161: Utility of evidence based mesenchymal gene signatures gene expression panel in predicting outcome in stage matched colorectal cancer patients

Abstract

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is third deadliest cancer in United States, only behind lung and prostate cancer. Although several therapies are available to treat colorectal cancer but there is need for new prognostic biomarkers to tailor appropriate personalized therapy. Mesenchymal Stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells which are attracted toward inflammatory sites. In colon cancer, they have been shown to assist in tumor progression. To assess the MSC gene signatures in colon cancer patients, we picked 5 genes from nCounter plexset Mesenchymal Stem cell panel. These genes named: SMAD4, PTK2, GTF3A, CASP3 and HDAC1 were quantified on Nanostring platform. The aim of the study is to quantify these Mesenchymal gene signatures in colorectal cancer patients. Under the IRB approved protocol, a total of 750 colon cancer patients at Medical College of Georgia with 5 years follow-up were initially selected. The patients were stratified on the basis of overall survival in two groups, with higher (> 5 years) and lower survival (<1 year) along with AJCC staging (I to IV), grade, gender and age. A total of 88 patients fitted in our inclusion criteria on the basis of survival duration after diagnosis. The FFPE blocks were acquired from Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. Total RNA was isolated and quantified through Nanodrop method. The statistical analysis of data was performed using student t-test and Pearson correlation. We found PTK2 levels to be high in stage I patients (p = 0.02*). Also, patients with higher survival in stage I had high expression of PTK2 (p=0.04*). Additionally, PTK2 was expressed in higher amounts in lower surviving patient group (0.00*). GTF3 levels were higher in (p = 0.01) stage I. CASP3 showed higher expression in stage III and IV combined. HDAC1 expression was higher in Grade II patients compared to Grade I. HDAC1 expression was also higher in African American population. Citation Format: Benjamin Johnson, Pankaj Ahluwalia, Chetan Pundkar, Saleh Heneidi, Kimya Jones, Ashis Mondal, Ravindra Kolhe. Utility of evidence based mesenchymal gene signatures gene expression panel in predicting outcome in stage matched colorectal cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1161.