Multidisciplinary team to recognize cancer cells in blood

It is now known that during apoptosis and necrosis of cancer cells, there are biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that are released into the bloodstream, facilitating and promoting metastatic activity in nearby and/or distant organs. Detection of these biomarkers in the bloodstream the so-called"liquid biopsy" can contribute to early diagnosis of cancer stage and more favorable prediction of prognosis in patients.

This is where "MORFEO" (MORphological biomarkers For Early diagnosis in Oncology), funded by MIUR among the Scientific Research Programs of Significant National Interest, fits in.

MORFEO will focus on the design, development and implementation of a microfluidic platform combined with holographic-type optical imaging that will enable the visualization of circulating cancer cells in the blood based on certain morphological parameters that characterize cancer cells and not blood cells.

The team of researchers will be composed of experts in the field of optics and photonics for the imaging part, assisted by experts in data analysis for the development of networks in the machine-learning field, all skills present within the CNR-Isasi digital holography group (Dr. Pietro Ferraro, project leader). Also included in the partnership are the University Federico II of Naples with the Department of Chemical Engineering of Materials and Industrial Production (DICMAPI, Prof. Pier Luca Maffettone) for microfluidic engineering, and the Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology (DMMBM, Profs. Mario Capasso and Achille Iolascon) for the study of pediatric cancers. The group of Profs. Mario Capasso and Achille Iolascon, Prinicipal Investigators of CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, with the help of Dr. Flora Cimmino, a researcher funded by the Umberto Veronesi Foundation, will focus on characterizing cell morphology and defining gene expression profiles using advanced sequencing techniques called "NGS" that characterize pediatric tumor cells. The third partner is the University of Bologna whose activities, coordinated by young researcher Ivana Kurelac, will be in the area of ovarian cancer research.

The results of this project will lay the foundation for the realization of an ideal diagnostic system to be able to analyze flowing blood with high throughput (many cells analyzed per minute) and a high level of accuracy in identifying various cell types, minimizing the number of false positives. So, the aim of MORFEO is to demonstrate that it is possible to generate a device that is capable of indentifying CTCs in the early stages of tumor development and that is miniaturized, easy to use, non-invasive, safe, and economically viable.