| 51. |
- Sholl, Lynette, et al.
(författare)
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The Promises and Challenges of Tumor Mutation Burden as an Immunotherapy Biomarker : A Perspective from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Pathology Committee
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Thoracic Oncology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 1556-0864 .- 1556-1380. ; 15:9, s. 1409-1424
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies have revolutionized the management of patients with NSCLC and have led to unprecedented improvements in response rates and survival in a subset of patients with this fatal disease. However, the available therapies work only for a minority of patients, are associated with substantial societal cost, and may lead to considerable immune-related adverse events. Therefore, patient selection must be optimized through the use of relevant biomarkers. Programmed death-ligand 1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry is widely used today for the selection of programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor therapy in patients with NSCLC; however, this approach lacks robust sensitivity and specificity for predicting response. Tumor mutation burden (TMB), or the number of somatic mutations derived from next-generation sequencing techniques, has been widely explored as an alternative or complementary biomarker for response to ICIs. In theory, a higher TMB increases the probability of tumor neoantigen production and therefore, the likelihood of immune recognition and tumor cell killing. Although TMB alone is a simplistic surrogate of this complex interplay, it is a quantitative variable that can be relatively readily measured using currently available sequencing techniques. A large number of clinical trials and retrospective analyses, employing both tumor and blood-based sequencing tools, have evaluated the performance of TMB as a predictive biomarker, and in many cases reveal a correlation between high TMB and ICI response rates and progression-free survival. Many challenges remain before the implementation of TMB as a biomarker in clinical practice. These include the following: (1) identification of therapies whose response is best informed by TMB status; (2) robust definition of a predictive TMB cut point; (3) acceptable sequencing panel size and design; and (4) the need for robust technical and informatic rigor to generate precise and accurate TMB measurements across different laboratories. Finally, effective prediction of response to ICI therapy will likely require integration of TMB with a host of other potential biomarkers, including tumor genomic driver alterations, tumor-immune milieu, and other features of the host immune system. This perspective piece will review the current clinical evidence for TMB as a biomarker and address the technical sequencing considerations and ongoing challenges in the use of TMB in routine practice. (c) 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
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| 52. |
- Spiegelberg, Diana, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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The Novel Anti-cMet Antibody seeMet 12 Potentiates Sorafenib Therapy and Radiotherapy in a Colorectal Cancer Model
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Oncology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2234-943X. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rational: cMet is abnormally regulated in gastrointestinal cancer, and is associated with increased invasiveness of the disease and poor overall survival. There are indications that targeted therapy against cMet, alone or in combination with additional cancer therapies, can help improve treatment outcome. Thus, in the present study we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of a novel cMet-targeting antibody therapy in gastrointestinal cancer models, and assessed potential augmenting effects in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeted therapy or radiotherapy.Methods: Three different cMet-targeting antibodies were first characterized with respect to antigen binding and effects on cell viability in vitro. The best performing candidate seeMet 12 was then further assessed for effects on colorectal cancer cell growth, proliferation and migration. Combinations with the TKI-inhibitor sorafenib or external beam radiotherapy were then evaluated for potential additive or synergistic effects in vitro using monolayer- and multicellular tumor spheroid assays. Finally, the combination of seeMet 12 and radiotherapy was evaluated in vivo in a proof-of-concept colorectal cancer xenograft study.Results: Dose-dependent therapeutic effects were demonstrated for all three cMet-targeting antibodies. Monotherapy using seeMet 12 resulted in impaired cellular migration/proliferation and reduced tumor spheroid growth. Moreover, seeMet 12 was able to potentiate therapeutic effects in vitro for both sorafenib and radiotherapy treatments. Finally, the in vivo therapy study demonstrated promising results, where a combination of seeMet 12 and fractionated radiotherapy increased median survival by 79% compared to radiotherapy alone, and tripled maximum survival.Conclusion: The novel anti-cMet antibody seeMet 12 demonstrated therapeutic effects in cMet positive gastrointestinal cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, the addition of seeMet 12 augmented the effects of sorafenib and radiotherapy. An in vivo proof-of-concept study of seeMet 12 and radiotherapy further validated the results. Thus, cMet-targeted therapy should be further explored as a promising approach to increase therapeutic effects, circumvent treatment resistance, and reduce side effects.
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| 53. |
- Staaf, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostic Value of Insulinoma-Associated Protein 1 (INSM1) and Comparison With Established Neuroendocrine Markers in Pulmonary Cancers : A Comprehensive Study and Review of the Literature
- 2020
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Ingår i: Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. - 0003-9985 .- 1543-2165. ; 144:9, s. 1075-1085
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context.—The diagnostic distinction of pulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors from non–small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) is clinically relevant for prognostication and treatment. Diagnosis is based on morphology and immunohistochemical staining.Objective.—To determine the diagnostic value of insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1), in comparison with established NE markers, in pulmonary tumors.Design.—Fifty-four pulmonary NE tumors and 632 NSCLCs were stained for INSM1, CD56, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin. In a subset, gene expression data were available for analysis. Also, 419 metastases to the lungs were stained for INSM1. A literature search identified 39 additional studies with data on NE markers in lung cancers from the last 15 years. Seven of these included data on INSM1.Results.—A positive INSM1 staining was seen in 39 of 54 NE tumors (72%) and 6 of 623 NSCLCs (1%). The corresponding numbers were 47 of 54 (87%) and 14 of 626 (2%) for CD56, 30 of 54 (56%) and 6 of 629 (1%) for chromogranin A, and 46 of 54 (85%) and 49 of 630 (8%) for synaptophysin, respectively. Analysis of literature data revealed that CD56 and INSM1 were the best markers for identification of high-grade NE pulmonary tumors when considering both sensitivity and specificity, while synaptophysin also showed good sensitivity. INSM1 gene expression was clearly associated with NE histology.Conclusions.—The solid data of both our and previous studies confirm the diagnostic value of INSM1 as a NE marker in pulmonary pathology. The combination of CD56 with INSM1 and/or synaptophysin should be the first-hand choice to confirm pulmonary high-grade NE tumors. INSM1 gene expression could be used to predict NE tumor histology.
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| 54. |
- Tjörnstrand, Axel, et al.
(författare)
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Lower 68 Ga-DOTATOC Uptake in Non-Functioning Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors Compared to Normal Pituitary Gland - a Proof-of-Concept Study.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Clinical Endocrinology. - : Wiley. - 0300-0664 .- 1365-2265. ; 92:3, s. 222-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET targets somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) and is well established for the detection of SSTR-expressing tumors, such as gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. Pituitary adenomas, recently designated as pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs), also express SSTRs, but there has been no previous evaluations of 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET in PitNET patients. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the diagnostic properties of 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET in the most common PitNET, i.e. non-functioning (NF)-PitNET.DESIGN/METHODS: NF-PitNET patients (n = 9) and controls (n = 13) were examined preoperatively with 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET for 45 min after tracer injection in dynamic list mode. Tumor specimens were collected during surgery in patients. MRI and PET images were co-registered using PMOD software. The maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax ) was analyzed in manually outlined regions of interest (ROC) around the tumor in patients and around the pituitary gland in controls. Immunohistochemical analyses were conducted on tumor specimens for assessment of tumor cell type and SSTR expression.RESULTS: Median SUVmax (IQR) was lower in patients than in controls (3.9 [3.4-8.5] vs 14.1 [12.5-15.9]; P < .01]. In ROC analysis, the area under the curve was 0.87 (P < .01) for SUVmax , with 78% sensitivity and 92% specificity. Immunohistochemical analysis showed NF-PitNETs were of gonadotroph (n = 7) and corticotroph (n = 2) origin. SSTR expression was high for SSTR3, low-to-moderate for SSTR2, and low for SSTR1 and SSTR5.CONCLUSIONS: This proof-of-concept study shows that 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET can be used to differentiate between normal pituitary tissue and NF-PitNET.
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| 55. |
- Tsakonas, Georgios, et al.
(författare)
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An immune gene expression signature distinguishes central nervous system metastases from primary tumours in non-small-cell lung cancer
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 132, s. 24-34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Dissemination of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the central nervous system is a frequent and challenging clinical problem. Systemic or local therapies rarely prolong survival and have modest activity regarding local control. Alterations in gene expression in brain metastasis versus primary tumour may increase aggressiveness and impair therapeutic efforts.Methods: We identified 25 patients with surgically removed NSCLC brain metastases in two different patient cohorts. For 13 of these patients, primary tumour samples were available. Gene expression analysis using the nCounter (R) PanCancer Immune Profiling gene expression panel (nanoString technologies Inc.) was performed in brain metastases and primary tumour samples. Identification of differentially expressed genes was conducted on normalized data using the nSolver analysis software.Results: We compared gene expression patterns in brain metastases with primary tumours. Brain metastasis samples displayed a distinct clustering pattern compared to primary tumour samples with a statistically significant downregulation of genes related to immune response and immune cell activation. Results from KEGG term analysis on differentially expressed genes revealed a concomitant enrichment of multiple KEGG terms associated with the immune system. We identified a 12-gene immune signature that clearly separated brain metastases from primary tumours.Conclusions: We identified a unique gene downregulation pattern in brain metastases compared with primary tumours. This finding may explain the lower intracranial efficacy of systemic therapy, especially immunotherapy, in brain metastasis of patients with NSCLC.
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| 56. |
- Walsh, Claire, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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The mevalonate precursor enzyme HMGCS1 is a novel marker and key mediator of cancer stem cell enrichment in luminal and basal models of breast cancer
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 15:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The definitive characterization of common cancer stem cell (CSCs) subpopulations in breast cancer subtypes with distinct genotypic and phenotypic features remains an ongoing challenge. In this study, we have used a non-biased genome wide screening approach to identify transcriptional networks that may be specific to the CSC subpopulations in both luminal and basal breast cancer subtypes. In depth studies of three CSC-enriched breast cancer cell lines representing various subtypes of breast cancer revealed a striking hyperactivation of the mevalonate metabolic pathway in comparison to control cells. The upregulation of metabolic networks is a key feature of tumour cells securing growth and proliferative capabilities and dysregulated mevalonate metabolism has been associated with tumour malignancy and cellular transformation in breast cancer. Furthermore, accumulating evidence suggests that Simvastatin therapy, a mevalonate pathway inhibitor, could affect breast cancer progression and reduce breast cancer recurrence. When detailing the mevalonate pathway in breast cancer using a single-cell qPCR, we identified the mevalonate precursor enzyme, HMGCS1, as a specific marker of CSC-enriched subpopulations within both luminal and basal tumour subtypes. Down-regulation of HMGCS1 also decreased the CSC fraction and function in various model systems, suggesting that HMGCS1 is essential for CSC-activities in breast cancer in general. These data was supported by strong associations between HMGCS1 expression and aggressive features, such as high tumour grade, p53 mutations as well as ER-negativity in lymph node positive breast cancer. Importantly, loss of HMGCS1 also had a much more pronounced effect on CSC-activities compared to treatment with standard doses of Simvastatin. Taken together, this study highlights HMGCS1 as a potential gatekeeper for dysregulated mevalonate metabolism important for CSC-features in both luminal and basal breast cancer subtypes. Pharmacological inhibition of HMGCS1 could therefore be a superior novel treatment approach for breast cancer patients via additional CSC blocking functions.
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| 57. |
- Wang, Ying, et al.
(författare)
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Screening for differentially expressed circRNA between Kashin–Beck disease and osteoarthritis patients based on circRNA chips
- 2020
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Ingår i: Clinica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier. - 0009-8981 .- 1873-3492. ; 501, s. 92-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This research aims to explore differentially expressed circRNA between OA and KBD and potential diagnostic biomarkers.Methods: Total RNA was extracted from 5 pairs of KBD and OA knee joint cartilage specimens, and the expression of circRNAs was analyzed by Chip Scanning Analysis. The microarray data was verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). CircRNA-miRNA network was constructed to predict targeting microRNAs of circRNA genes. Peripheral blood samples from 25 KBD patients and 25 OA patients were collected for verification by qRT-PCR. Diagnostic value was evaluated by the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve.Results: A total of 1627 circRNAs were differentially expressed between OA and KBD. Five bone and joint disease-related circRNAs were chosen for qRT-PCR validation. The difference in expression profile of hsa_circRNA_0020014 was confirmed by qRT-PCR, and its circRNA-miRNA regulation network was set up. The ROC curve demonstrated that hsa_circ_0020014_CBC1 in peripheral blood could distinguish patients with KBD and OA.Conclusion: The expression profiles of circRNA were significantly different between OA and KBD. hsa_circRNA_0020014 is a potential biomarker for differential diagnosis between these two diseases.
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| 58. |
- Abdulla, Maysaa, et al.
(författare)
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Prognostic impact of abdominal lymph node involvement in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Journal of Haematology. - : Wiley. - 0902-4441 .- 1600-0609. ; 104:3, s. 207-213
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The prognostic value of site of nodal involvement in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) is mainly unknown. We aimed to determine the prognostic significance of nodal abdominal involvement in relation to tumour cell markers and clinical characteristics of 249 DLBCL patients in a retrospective single-centre study.METHODS: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and thorax revealed pathologically enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in 156 patients, while in 93 patients there were no pathologically enlarged lymph nodes in the abdomen. In 81 cases, the diagnosis of DLBCL was verified by histopathological biopsy obtained from abdominal lymph node.RESULTS: Patients with abdominal nodal disease had inferior lymphoma-specific survival (P = .04) and presented with higher age-adjusted IPI (P < .001), lactate dehydrogenase (P < .001) and more often advanced stage (P < .001), bulky disease (P < .001), B symptoms (P < .001), and double expression of MYC and BCL2 (P = .02) compared to patients without nodal abdominal involvement, but less often extranodal involvement (P < .02). The worst outcome was observed in those where the abdominal nodal involvement was verified by histopathological biopsy.CONCLUSION: Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas patients with abdominal nodal disease had inferior outcome and more aggressive behaviour, reflected both in clinical and biological characteristics.
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| 59. |
- Afshari, Maryam K.
(författare)
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Transcriptomic and functional studies of fusion oncogene-driven salivary gland tumors
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Fusion genes are potent oncogenic drivers resulting from exchange of regulatory/coding sequences between two genes. They were originally identified in leukemias but are now recognized as key oncogenic events also in many solid tumors, including salivary gland tumors (SGTs). Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a highly malignant SGT with no effective treatment for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic disease. The MYB-NFIB fusion is the main genomic hallmark of ACC and a po- tential therapeutic target. Here, oncogenic signaling pathways as well as the molecular consequences and regulation of MYB-NFIB were assessed in cultured ACC cells and in ACC surgical samples. A combination of molecular and functional assays was used including RNAi, qPCR, western blot, phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) arrays, proliferation/apoptosis/sphere assays, and gene expression microarrays. ACC patient- derived xenografts (PDX) were used to study the effects of RTK-inhibition on tumor growth. MYB-NFIB was shown to promote proliferation and spherogenesis of ACC cells. The fusion regulated expression of genes involved in DNA replication/repair, cell cycle, and RNA processing, and induced an MYC-like transcriptional program. MYB-NFIB was shown to be regulated by IGF1R through IGF2-activated AKT-signaling and phar- macological inhibition of IGF1R partially reversed the transcriptional program induced by MYB-NFIB. Moreover, IGF1R, EGFR, and MET were co-activated in ACC cells. Combined inhibition of these receptors in ACC cells and PDX-models induced differentiation and synergistic growth inhibition. The results provide new insights about the function and regulation of MYB-NFIB and are the first to show that a druggable cell surface receptor can regulate a fusion oncogene encoding a transcription factor. Importantly, the results also highlight novel potential treatment strategies for ACC patients. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common SGT. Although it is a benign tumor, treatment may be complicated by recurrence and/or malignant transformation. Previous studies of PA have revealed recurrent chromosomal rearrangements that activate the key oncogenes PLAG1 and HMGA2 by gene fusion events. Here, detailed studies of previously uncharacterized subsets of PAs with 8;9- or 9;12-rearrangements revealed breakpoints within or in the proximity of either PLAG1 or HMGA2, and NFIB. Further analyses using RNA- seq, RT-PCR, qPCR, and arrayCGH revealed a novel NFIB-PLAG1 fusion in a PA with an ins(9;8) and HMGA2-NFIB fusions in cases with t(9;12). These findings highlight the role of NFIB as a fusion partner gene in both benign and malignant SGTs and indicate that NFIB can activate both PLAG1 and HMGA2 by gene fusion/enhancer hijacking events in PA. Furthermore, RNA-seq based transcriptomic analysis of PAs revealed a high frequency of PLAG1 and HMGA2 fusions (≈80% of the cases) and multiple novel fusion partner genes. The findings indicate that gene fusions are more common in PA than previously documented. Global gene expression and pathway analyses revealed several activated oncogenic signaling pathways and showed that the expression profile reflects certain morphological features typical of PA. Finally, the results showed that PLAG1 and HMGA2 drive tumorigenesis via shared signaling pathways. The results provide further insights into the pathogenesis of PA and reveal new potential therapeutic targets.
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| 60. |
- Ahmad, Shahzad, et al.
(författare)
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CDH6 and HAGH protein levels in plasma associate with Alzheimer’s disease in APOE ε4 carriers
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many Alzheimer’s disease (AD) genes including Apolipoprotein E (APOE) are found to be expressed in blood-derived macrophages and thus may alter blood protein levels. We measured 91 neuro-proteins in plasma from 316 participants of the Rotterdam Study (incident AD = 161) using Proximity Extension Ligation assay. We studied the association of plasma proteins with AD in the overall sample and stratified by APOE. Findings from the Rotterdam study were replicated in 186 AD patients of the BioFINDER study. We further evaluated the correlation of these protein biomarkers with total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau) and amyloid-beta (Aβ) 42 levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort (N = 441). Finally, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify the genetic variants determining the blood levels of AD-associated proteins. Plasma levels of the proteins, CDH6 (β = 0.638, P = 3.33 × 10−4) and HAGH (β = 0.481, P = 7.20 × 10−4), were significantly elevated in APOE ε4 carrier AD patients. The findings in the Rotterdam Study were replicated in the BioFINDER study for both CDH6 (β = 1.365, P = 3.97 × 10−3) and HAGH proteins (β = 0.506, P = 9.31 × 10−7) when comparing cases and controls in APOE ε4 carriers. In the CSF, CDH6 levels were positively correlated with t-tau and p-tau in the total sample as well as in APOE ε4 stratum (P < 1 × 10−3). The HAGH protein was not detected in CSF. GWAS of plasma CDH6 protein levels showed significant association with a cis-regulatory locus (rs111283466, P = 1.92 × 10−9). CDH6 protein is implicated in cell adhesion and synaptogenesis while HAGH protein is related to the oxidative stress pathway. Our findings suggest that these pathways may be altered during presymptomatic AD and that CDH6 and HAGH may be new blood-based biomarkers.
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