A study conducted by Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou provides initial evidence that the biomarkers Apo10 and TKTL1 can help detect lung cancer at an early stage and distinguish it from benign pulmonary nodules.
A study by Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou investigated whether the biomarkers Apo10 and TKTL1, measured in blood macrophages, can contribute to the earlier and more accurate detection of lung cancer. The study was published in the journal Cellular Oncology and examined whether these markers can help distinguish malignant tumors from benign lung changes.
To this end, blood samples were analyzed from 156 patients with early-stage lung cancer, 28 patients with benign pulmonary nodules, and 124 healthy control subjects. All participants underwent low-dose CT (LDCT) imaging prior to blood collection to standardize the clinical baseline.
The results showed that levels of Apo10 and TKTL1 were significantly higher in patients with lung cancer than in the control groups. This suggests that the combination of both markers – measured using the EDIM method – can support the differentiation between malignant and benign changes in lung tissue. The authors point to a potential use case in combination with imaging procedures such as LDCT.
Compared to established tumor markers such as CEA, NSE, SCC, or CyFra21-1, the biomarker combination demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity for detecting early-stage disease.
A key challenge in lung cancer screening is the interpretation of suspicious CT findings, especially so-called pulmonary nodules. The study suggests that Apo10 and TKTL1 could assist in improving the diagnostic classification of such findings – and potentially help avoid unnecessary biopsies or surgical interventions in benign cases.
Conclusion:
In this initial investigation, the biomarkers Apo10 and TKTL1 show diagnostic potential in distinguishing lung cancer from benign pulmonary nodules.
Source:
Xie et al., 2023. Apo10 and TKTL1 in blood macrophages as biomarkers for differentiating lung cancer from benign lung lesions: a comparative study with conventional biomarkers.
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Ralf Geissler
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About Zyagnum: The Darmstadt-based biotechnology company Zyagnum AG develops diagnostic solutions for human medicine. Zyagnum has a profound understanding of immunological processes and their connection with diseases. For example, the EDIM® technology developed by Zyagnum can be used in blood tests to detect specific antigens in immune cells that may play a role in tumour development. Today, the company employs more than 50 people and was founded by Zyagnum CEO Ralf Schierl together with Johannes Coy in 2007.
Website: https://www.zyagnum.com/
About EDIM®: When the human organism derails and runs towards disease, the immune system is often the first to recognise this, often before any symptoms. The platform technology we have developed, EDIM® (Epitope Detection in Monocytes), uses the mechanisms of the immune system to detect such derailments. The EDIM® technology examines macrophages for antigens that have previously been taken up into the cell interior by these immune cells through phagocytosis – this is why we also call EDIM® an immunological biopsy.
About PanTum Detect®: PanTum Detect® is a cancer screening blood test for the early detection of tumors. By means of a simple blood sample, it can provide indications of almost all cancer types in early, symptom-free stages – even for tumor types for which there are currently no established statutory early detection examinations. PanTum Detect® is based on EDIM® technology and detects the enzymes TKTL1 and DNaseX (Apo10), which both are increasingly produced in many tumors. PanTum Detect® does not diagnose cancer but provides indications of a potential cancer to be localized and confirmed in follow-up examinations (e.g. by imaging procedures such as MRI or PET/CT and histopathological procedures). PanTum Detect® has a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 99.5%.
*All cancers that form solid tumors (“solid cancers”). “Solid cancers” refers to tumors that grow as solid masses in an organ or tissue. Solid tumors are distinct from hematologic cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, which arise in cells of the blood or lymphatic system and do not form solid tumor masses.