Circulating Tumour Cell GALNT13 Expression Is Associated with Prognosis and Treatment Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
7 affiliations
- 1Laboratorio de Oncología Molecular, Servicio de Oncología, Hospital Maciel, Administración de Servicios de Salud del Estado (ASSE), 25 de Mayo 174, Montevideo 11000, Uruguay
- 2Laboratorio de Glicobiología e Inmunología Tumoral, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- 3Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Interception Group, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENyO), Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Avenida de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- 4Pathological Anatomy Unit (UPIGAP), University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Av. de las Fuerzas Armadas 2, 18014 Granada, Spain
- 5Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Av. de Madrid 15, Beiro, 18012 Granada, Spain
- 6Servicio de Hemoterapia, Hospital Maciel, ASSE, 25 de Mayo 174, Montevideo 11000, Uruguay
- 7Departamento de Inmunobiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Av. General Flores 2125, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
Abstract
Reliable circulating biomarkers for prognosis and treatment monitoring in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain limited. Liquid biopsy offers a minimally invasive approach to identify clinically informative tumour-derived markers. Given the emerging role of GalNAc-transferases in cancer biology, we evaluated GALNT13 expression in peripheral blood as a potential biomarker for prognosis and disease monitoring in lung cancer patients. Sensitive molecular assays (nested and digital RT-PCR) were developed to detect GALNT13 mRNA in circulating tumour cells (CTCs). These methods were applied to peripheral blood samples from non-small cell lung cancer patients to assess prognostic value and enable longitudinal monitoring. A cohort of 143 NSCLC patients was analysed, of whom 60% were GALNT13-positive in peripheral blood at baseline. During a five-year follow-up, GALNT13 positivity was significantly associated with reduced overall survival. In several patients, increases in GALNT13 levels preceded radiologic evidence of disease progression. GALNT13 expression in CTCs emerges as a promising biomarker for prognosis and treatment monitoring in NSCLC. Prospective studies in larger cohorts are warranted to validate its clinical utility.
Related
- Clinical utility of circulating tumor cell PD-L1 expression for predicting immunotherapeutic response and prognosis in esophageal cancer
- COL1A2 expression is associated with prognosis, stromal remodeling, and predicted immunotherapy response in gastric cancer
- Bladder cancer immune microenvironment: immune-cell distribution, disease associations, treatment remodeling, and baseline immune features associated with treatment response and prognosis
- An exploratory analysis of circulating cytokine profiles, pain-associated transcripts and autoantibody responses associated with treatment response in knee osteoarthritis
- Editorial: AI-powered insights: predicting treatment response and prognosis in breast cancer
BibTeX
@article{armua2026circulating,
title = {{Circulating Tumour Cell GALNT13 Expression Is Associated with Prognosis and Treatment Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer}},
author = {Eugenia Fernández Armúa and María José Serrano and Diego Santana and Mariana Carrasco and María Pilar Molina and Inés Aznar and Marcos Acosta and Beatriz Villar and Juan Ferrari and Diego Touya and Eduardo Osinaga and Nora Berois},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27209095},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9095},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Circulating Tumour Cell GALNT13 Expression Is Associated with Prognosis and Treatment Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
AU - Eugenia Fernández Armúa
AU - María José Serrano
AU - Diego Santana
AU - Mariana Carrasco
AU - María Pilar Molina
AU - Inés Aznar
AU - Marcos Acosta
AU - Beatriz Villar
AU - Juan Ferrari
AU - Diego Touya
AU - Eduardo Osinaga
AU - Nora Berois
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27209095
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9095
AB - Reliable circulating biomarkers for prognosis and treatment monitoring in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain limited. Liquid biopsy offers a minimally invasive approach to identify clinically informative tumour-derived markers. Given the emerging role of GalNAc-transferases in cancer biology, we evaluated GALNT13 expression in peripheral blood as a potential biomarker for prognosis and disease monitoring in lung cancer patients. Sensitive molecular assays (nested and digital RT-PCR) were developed to detect GALNT13 mRNA in circulating tumour cells (CTCs). These methods were applied to peripheral blood samples from non-small cell lung cancer patients to assess prognostic value and enable longitudinal monitoring. A cohort of 143 NSCLC patients was analysed, of whom 60% were GALNT13-positive in peripheral blood at baseline. During a five-year follow-up, GALNT13 positivity was significantly associated with reduced overall survival. In several patients, increases in GALNT13 levels preceded radiologic evidence of disease progression. GALNT13 expression in CTCs emerges as a promising biomarker for prognosis and treatment monitoring in NSCLC. Prospective studies in larger cohorts are warranted to validate its clinical utility.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -