[Trop-2 expression in solid tumors : Expanded protein diagnostics within the molecular tumor board]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Biomarker Discovery

Context:

• Trophoblast surface antigen 2 (Trop-2) is a target for novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
• Molecular tumor boards (MTBs) integrate multi-omic data for personalized cancer treatment.
• Accurate Trop-2 assessment is crucial for guiding ADC therapy.

Purpose:

• To systematically evaluate Trop-2 expression in solid tumors using immunohistochemistry (IHC).
• To correlate IHC findings with mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics data.
• To assess the utility of Trop-2 as a biomarker for personalized treatment recommendations within an MTB setting.

Summary:

• Trop-2 expression was assessed in 50 solid tumor patients via IHC, categorizing tumors as negative, low, moderate, or high expressing.
• High Trop-2 expression was observed in 46% of cases.
• Trop-2 IHC scores positively correlated with MS-based protein intensities (r=0.48), validating the IHC method.
• Treatment recommendations for Trop-2 ADCs were made in 61% of cases, with 20% considering it the best option.

Impact:

• Trop-2 evaluation aids personalized treatment recommendations, especially in off-label settings.
• The study validates IHC for Trop-2 assessment and highlights the potential of multi-omics data in biomarker discovery.
• Findings support the integration of Trop-2 diagnostics into routine molecular tumor board workflows for optimized cancer care.