“Identification of differential mechanisms in cancer survivors will make it possible to modulate them in patients with a worse prognosis”

Compilation
A new initiative aims to understand the unique characteristics of patients who achieve long-term survival from aggressive cancer. For this purpose, a biotech startup Cure51 announced an agreement with a leading organization in the field of space and cell biology, 10x genomicsand we will implement your tool Visium HD. Dr. Paloma Cejasco-founder and director of translational research at Cure51, analyzes with iHealth the most important aspects of this project and its possible clinical impact. “Visium HD represents one of the most ambitious projects yet single cell spatial analysis»– he emphasizes.

Cure 51 has agreed with 10x Genomics to bring advanced Visium HD technology to cancer research. What molecular characteristics of cancer survivors with severe prognosis will be studied?
Visium HD technology is revolutionary in terms of its resolution, as it allows the study of human tumors at the level of individual cells, maintaining spatial information about the location of each cell in the tissue. This, which may seem like a common occurrence, represents progress that would have been unimaginable just a couple of years ago. This means that it allows us to recognize genes that are expressed in both tumor and non-tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment.

“Visium HD technology allows us to learn which genes are expressed in both tumor and non-tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment.”

Knowledge of the interaction between a tumor cell and its microenvironment has been and continues to be an unknown frontier, which the recent launch of Visium HD technology will allow us to explore. This interaction is especially relevant for tumors such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma, small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma multiforme, which our company Cure51 specializes in. We believe that crossing this milestone could change the therapeutic approach to these tumors, opening the way to new therapeutic options in tumor types that have been largely unknown to date. Cure51, in collaboration with 10XGenomics, will pioneer the use of Visium HD in one of the most ambitious single-cell spatial analysis projects in the world.

“Studying the connection between a tumor cell and its microenvironment is an unknown area and could change the therapeutic approach to poorly understood tumors.”

What is the clinical impact of analyzing more than 1,000 tumor samples that have progressed beyond advanced stages of cancer, and what specific benefits does Visium HD technology provide in its analysis?
The size of the tumor cohort included in a study is critical to obtaining meaningful data. The collection of more than 1,000 tumor samples from surviving patients, especially in cases with such poor long-term survival rates, is extremely remarkable. We believe that the large number of cases included in the study, combined with the high resolution provided by Visium HD, will allow us to identify new therapeutic options that will give patients hope.

How might the results influence the development of preventative therapies in high-risk populations?
Better knowledge of these tumors will help to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis and tumor evolution, taking into account both the tumor cell and its microenvironment. This information will provide us with recommendations for modulating and strengthening the immune system, which may allow us to identify early tumor mechanisms that can be prevented.

“Collecting more than 1,000 tumor samples from surviving patients, especially in cases with such poor long-term survival rates, is extremely remarkable.”

The project involves more than 50 medical institutions and patients from 40 countries. What is the main purpose and what challenges exist in collecting and standardizing data from different centers and locations around the world?
To increase the sample size, Cure51 made an enormous effort to identify as many long-term survivors and their matched controls worldwide as possible. This process was challenging and not without challenges, such as establishing contacts with hospitals, varying regulations, and cultural issues. The success in recruitment is a credit not only to Cure51, but to all the institutions that believed in the value of this project.

Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the work of the Cure51 team members who are in direct contact with healthcare professionals, as they were able to convey the enthusiasm we have for the project. A key factor in achieving this mutual trust was the company’s policy of sharing all data resulting from the study with the researchers and counting on their ideas and opinions, creating an atmosphere of true collaboration.

“If we can identify differential mechanisms in cancer survivors, we may be able to modulate them in patients with a worse prognosis.”

One of the activities of Cure51 is “reverse engineering cancer treatment“. What is this strategy and how do you see the future in this regard?
If we can identify differential mechanisms in surviving patients, we may be able to modulate them in patients with the worst prognosis to resemble the former. The idea is to understand benign biology in order to mimic it and thus improve survival by interfering with tumor cells and their interaction with the tumor microenvironment. This requires knowledge of the complex mechanisms present in the tumor microcosm. The task is complex because it requires enormous technical effort from medical professionals, researchers and computer experts, but we have the technology and passion needed to solve it.