New Diagnostic Tool for Identifying the Effects of Antifibrotic Therapy in Breast Cancer

By Bio-IT World Staff 

November 12, 2024 | In recent research, scientists at the University of Arizona have developed a diagnostic tool, the MeCo Score, which evaluates metastatic risk in early-stage breast cancer by analyzing how cancer cells respond to the stiffness of surrounding tissue. This tool leverages RNA sequencing data from tumor samples to identify a "mechanical conditioning" (MeCo) signature, giving insights into cancer cell adaptations within the tumor microenvironment.  

The biological pathway linking tissue stiffness, or fibrosis, to cancer progression and metastasis is complex. Stiff, fibrotic environments can promote more aggressive cancer behavior, but not all tumors respond uniformly to these conditions. Specifically, high MeCo scores, which indicate a stronger cellular response to mechanical stiffness, were correlated with better outcomes for HER2-negative breast cancer patients who received antifibrotic treatment, such as nintedanib. Recent findings from a clinical trial in Spain showed that these patients experienced significantly improved event-free survival over 10 years, despite the initial trial lacking a diagnostic to differentiate responses. 

Ghassan Mouneimne, Ph.D., an associate professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and of cancer biology in the Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute at the University of Arizona Cancer Center has led the work. What began with breast cancer has expanded to explore similar fibrotic signatures in prostate and colorectal cancers, with MeCo Diagnostics, a company he co-founded, working on developing molecular tools for fibrosis response prediction across various cancers. The company’s bioinformatics approach—validated through preclinical experiments—has been crucial in refining MeCo Score for clinical application. 

For full details on this innovative pathway research and its diagnostic implications, visit Diagnostics World.