Pediatric sarcomas display a variable EpCAM expression in a histology-dependent manner

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is overexpressed in epithelial cancers, driving tumor cell spread via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
• Pediatric sarcomas, originating from mesenchymal cells, are aggressive tumors with poor prognoses.
• Targeting EpCAM offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for metastatic cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate EpCAM expression in various pediatric sarcomas.
• To correlate EpCAM levels with disease progression and patient survival.
• To evaluate EpCAM as a biomarker for sarcoma cell dissemination.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of EpCAM expression in pediatric sarcoma cell lines and primary tumor tissues.
• Inclusion of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), Ewing sarcoma (ES), synovial sarcoma (SS), desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), and osteosarcoma (OS).
• Detection of membrane-bound EpCAM in circulating tumor cells.

Main Results:

• EpCAM expression varied across pediatric sarcoma types.
• Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) exhibited the highest EpCAM levels.
• In rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), elevated EpCAM at diagnosis correlated with significantly reduced overall survival (p < 0.05).
• Membrane-bound EpCAM was identified on circulating sarcoma cells.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric sarcomas display heterogeneous EpCAM expression, with DSRCT showing the highest levels.
• EpCAM serves as a potential biomarker for detecting circulating sarcoma cells and predicting survival in RMS.
• The co-expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers in sarcomas may contribute to their aggressive nature.