Cytokine profiling of pre-clinical and clinical cancer studies

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Biomedical; Cell & Molecular Biology; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Marine Science; Systematics & Evolutionary Biology.
  In Poster Session: Biomedical Sciences Poster Session

Abstract

To increase our understanding of the impact of metronomic chemotherapy on various cancer types, we have employed a multiplex immunoassay approach to evaluate the human plasma levels of various cytokines after administration of different drugs. To date we have analyzed plasma samples of colorectal cancer patients treated with a metronomic cocktail that included cyclophosphamide, and of prostate cancer patients treated with metronomic vinorelbine. Our results show that in colorectal cancer patients the levels of cytokines interferon-alpha2 (>55.11pg/ml) and IL-17a (<15.1pg/ml) were predictive markers for those patients with a better response to therapy as assessed by progression-free survival (p<.05 for each cytokine). Variable levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha, were detected in prostate cancer patients treated with metronomic vinorelbine – a preliminary result that we are investigating further. Thus far, our results indicate that specific cytokine levels in colorectal cancer patients are indicative of a better progression free survival. We are now evaluating whether similar results can be obtained in prostate cancer patients treated with metronomic vinorelbine, and if analogous patterns in cytokine levels are observable in preclinical mouse tumor models following metronomic chemotherapy administration.

Authors

• Valerie Gallegos, University of Texas at El Paso

• Armando Estrada, Post Doctoral Fellow at University of Texas at El Paso

• Valeria Rolih, Graduate student

• Paloma Valenzuela, Graduate student at University of Texas at El Paso

• Karla Parra, Graduate student at University of Texas at El Paso

• Georgialina Rodriguez, -

• Marian Manciu, -

• Giulio Francia, University of Texas at El Paso

• Robert Kirken, -