Background: A subset of men with metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) responds to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and there is an unmet need to predict those most likely to benefit. We characterized circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for expression of immune checkpoint ligands in men with mPC as a non-invasive biomarker of immune evasion and immunotherapy benefit.
Methods: Three cohorts of patients were enrolled: 1) men with mCRPC starting abiraterone acetate/prednisone or enzalutamide (pre-ARSI), 2) men with mCRPC who were progressing on enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate/prednisone (post-ARSI), and 3) men with newly diagnosed metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) starting androgen deprivation therapy.
CDH1 (also known as E-cadherin), an epithelial-specific cell-cell adhesion molecule, plays multiple roles in maintaining adherens junctions, regulating migration and invasion, and mediating intracellular signaling. Downregulation of E-cadherin is a hallmark of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and correlates with poor prognosis in multiple carcinomas. Conversely, upregulation of E-cadherin is prognostic for improved survival in sarcomas.
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