Exploring tumor dynamics and responses of prostate cancer to IL-27 based treatment combinations through biodynamic...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• The tumor microenvironment (TME) is complex, with heterogeneity driving treatment resistance in cancers like prostate cancer (PCa).
• Assessing dynamic phenotypic responses to therapy is crucial for effective treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate dynamic immunotherapy responses in PCa using Biodynamic Imaging (BDI).
• To integrate BDI with RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) for correlating physiological changes with gene expression.
• To investigate the efficacy of IL-27-based combination therapies in modulating the TME.

Main Methods:

• Applied 3D coherence-gated holography (BDI) to quantify intracellular motion in a PCa model.
• Treated tumors ex vivo with chemotherapy and immunomodulatory agents, including IL-27 combinations.
• Correlated BDI-derived motion frequency shifts (0.01-12.5 Hz) with RNA-seq data.

Main Results:

• BDI successfully captured dynamic cellular responses to therapeutic interventions.
• RNA-seq identified molecular changes associated with treatment, including immune modulation.
• IL-27 demonstrated potential in converting immunologically 'cold' TME to a more responsive state, enhancing efficacy.

Conclusions:

• The integration of BDI and RNA-seq provides a novel platform for evaluating combination therapies in PCa.
• This approach can inform treatment decisions by linking dynamic physiological changes to molecular profiles.
• Biodynamic imaging offers a promising method for assessing treatment response in challenging cancers.