Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 21, 2026
In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors
Published on: May 17, 2013
Lectin binding to human colonocytes is predictive of colonic neoplasia
D J Desilets1, K E Davis, P P Nair
1Department of Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, USA.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine whether lectin binding to exfoliated human colonocytes could be used as a noninvasive test for colorectal polyps or cancer.
Methods:
Colonocytes were harvested from 31 patients (10 controls, 10 with adenomatous polyps, and 11 with cancer), incubated with a panel of fluorescent-labeled lectins, and assayed by flow cytometry.
Results:
The lectins jacalin (JAC) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) were useful in predicting the presence of a colorectal neoplasm (p = 0.0018 for JAC and p = 0.0099 for WGA). For JAC, sensitivity reached 81% with a specificity of 80%, and for WGA the sensitivity and specificity were both 75%.
Conclusions:
Lectin binding to human colonocytes can predict the presence of malignant and premalignant lesions of the colon, and has potential as a noninvasive screening tool for colorectal neoplasms.
