A preliminary study for the assessment of PD-L1 and PD-L2 on circulating tumor cells by microfluidic-based chipcytometry

Aim: Expression of PD-L1 in the tumor is associated with more favorable responses to anti-PD-1 therapy in multiple cancers. However, obtaining tumor biopsies for PD-L1 interrogation is an invasive procedure and challenging to assess repeatedly as the disease progresses. Materials & methods: Here we assess an alternative, minimally invasive approach to analyze blood samples for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that have broken away from the tumor and entered the periphery. Our approach uses sized-based microfluidic CTC enrichment and subsequent characterization with microfluidic-based cytometry (chipcytometry). Conclusion: We demonstrate tumor-cell detection and characterization for PD-L1, and other markers, in both spiked and patient samples. This preliminary communication is the first report using chipcytometry for the characterization of CTCs. [Graphics] Lay abstract: The proteins PD-L1 and PD-L2 are expressed on some tumors and can inhibit the immune system from attacking and destroying the tumor. Consequently, these proteins are biomarkers for the effectiveness of therapeutic treatments that target this pathway. Here we describe and present preliminary data for a new assay workflow to detect the presence of these proteins on the surface of tumor cells that have broken away from the tumor and entered the blood. Future studies, to develop and validate this assay, would provide a less invasive way of routinely measuring this biomarker than the current practice of taking tumor biopsies.