Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34884994›Full record

ArticleCancers2021

Detection of VAR2CSA-Captured Colorectal Cancer Cells from Blood Samples by Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR.

Sara R Bang-Christensen, Viatcheslav Katerov, Amalie M Jørgensen, Tobias Gustavsson, Swati Choudhary, Thor G Theander, Ali Salanti, Hatim T Allawi, Mette Ø Agerbæk

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 50% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Translational investigations in the HN1901 phase II window-of-opportunity study investigating the biological activity of an IDO1 (IO102) and PD-L1 (IO103) immune-modulatory peptide cancer vaccines in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Sara R Bang-ChristensenCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department for Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Disease, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Viatcheslav KaterovExact Sciences, Madison, WI 53719, USA.
Amalie M JørgensenVarCT Diagnostics, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tobias GustavssonCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department for Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Disease, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Swati ChoudharyCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department for Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Disease, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thor G TheanderCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department for Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Disease, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ali SalantiCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department for Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Disease, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hatim T AllawiExact Sciences, Madison, WI 53719, USA.
Mette Ø AgerbækCentre for Medical Parasitology, Department for Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Disease, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-5865-2034
University of Copenhagen · DKExact Sciences (United States) · US

Funding

Axel Muusfeldts Fond 2019-0168Fabrikant Einar Willumsens Mindelegat 500028Innovation Fund Denmark 7038-00212BInnovation Fund Denmark 9090-00024BKirsten og Freddy Johansens Fond N/ASvend Andersen Fonden N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples provides a non-invasive approach for early cancer detection. However, the rarity of CTCs makes it challenging to establish assays with the required sensitivity and specificity. We combine a highly sensitive CTC capture assay exploiting the cancer cell binding recombinant malaria VAR2CSA protein (rVAR2) with the detection of colon-related mRNA transcripts (USH1C and CKMT1A). Cancer cell transcripts are detected by RT-qPCR using proprietary Target Enrichment Long-probe Quantitative Amplified Signal (TELQAS) technology. We validate each step of the workflow using colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines spiked into blood and compare this with antibody-based cell detection. USH1C and CKMT1A are expressed in healthy colon tissue and CRC cell lines, while only low-level expression can be detected in healthy white blood cells (WBCs). The qPCR reaction shows a near-perfect amplification efficiency for all primer targets with minimal interference of WBC cDNA. Spike-in of 10 cancer cells in 3 mL blood can be detected and statistically separated from control blood using the RT-qPCR assay after rVAR2 capture (

Indexed as

cancercirculating tumor cells (CTCs)detection strategiesdiagnosticspolymerase chain reaction (PCR)rare cell detectionrVAR2

Identifiers

PMID34884994
PMCPMC8657034
OpenAlexW3217449234

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.