Evaluation of PD-L1 expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC).

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis shows durable responses in a subset of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, PD-L1 expression in tumor biopsies does not necessarily correlate with response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Thus, a reliable predictive biomarker is urgently needed.

Determination of PD-L1 Expression in Circulating Tumor Cells of NSCLC Patients and Correlation with Response to PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hold great potential to answer key questions of how non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) evolves and develops resistance upon anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Currently, their clinical utility in NSCLC is compromised by a low detection rate with the established, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, EpCAM-based CellSearch System. We tested an epitope-independent method (Parsortix system) and utilized it to assess PD-L1 expression of CTCs from NSCLC patients.

Detection and Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive skin cancer with increasing incidence and high mortality rates. MCC has recently become the subject of immune checkpoint therapy, but reliable biomarkers for estimating prognosis, risk stratification, and prediction of response are missing.

Methods: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were detected in peripheral blood from patients with MCC by use of the CellSearch system.

Blood-brain-barrier organoids for investigating the permeability of CNS therapeutics.

In vitro models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are critical tools for the study of BBB transport and the development of drugs that can reach the CNS. Brain endothelial cells grown in culture are often used to model the BBB; however, it is challenging to maintain reproducible BBB properties and function. 'BBB organoids' are obtained following coculture of endothelial cells, pericytes and astrocytes under low-adhesion conditions.