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Manuscript | 20 September 2023 Manuscript: Magnetically-activated, nanostructured cellulose for efficient capture of CTCs from the blood sample of head and neck cancer patients Study compares CNC and CNF cellulose nanostructures for EpCAM-based CTC capture in head and neck cancer, enabling affordable real-time cancer monitoring. In this report, the relative efficiency of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and nanofibers (CNFs) to capture circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the blood samples of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients was evaluated. Detection and enumeration of CTCs are critical for monitoring cancer progression. Both types of nanostructured cellulose were chemically modified with epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) antibody and iron oxide nanoparticles. The EpCAM antibody facilitated the engagement of CTCs, promoting their entrapment within the cellulose cage structure. Iron oxide nanoparticles, on the other hand, rendered the cages magnetically activatable, enabling the capture and separation of entrapped CTCs using a magnet. The efficiency of the network structures was demonstrated using blood samples from head and neck cancer patients. It was observed that the degree of chemical functionalization of hydroxyl groups within the CNCs or CNFs with anti-EpCAM determined the efficiency of the system’s interaction with CTCs. Furthermore, the results indicated that the inflexible scaffolds of nanocrystals interacted more efficiently with CTCs than the fibrous CNF scaffolds. Network structures derived from CNCs demonstrated comparable CTC-capturing efficiency to the commercial standard, OncoDiscover®. The findings of this work provide chemical design principles for cellulosic materials intended to construct affordable platforms for monitoring cancer progression in real time. View Manuscript Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Manuscript | 18 December 2020 Manuscript: Chemo-specific designs for the enumeration of circulating tumor cells: advances in liquid biopsy Review on chemo-specific nano/micro substrates for efficient CTC isolation, enabling liquid biopsy, metastasis detection, and real-time cancer monitoring. Advanced materials and chemo-specific designs at the nano- and micrometer scale have ensured revolutionary progress in next-generation clinically relevant technologies. For example, isolating a rare population of cells, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood among billions of other blood cells, is one of the most complex scientific challenges in cancer diagnostics. Achieving this level of exceptional specificity for extracellular biomarker interactions requires chemical tunability through the use of advanced materials and multistep reactions in both solution and insoluble states. This review delineates the chemo-specific substrates, chemical methods, and structure–activity relationships (SARs) of chemical platforms used for the isolation and enumeration of CTCs, thereby advancing the relevance of liquid biopsy in cancer diagnostics and disease management. We highlight the synthesis of cell-specific, tumor biomarker-based chemo-specific substrates utilizing functionalized linkers through chemistry-based conjugation strategies. The capacity of these nano- and micro-scale substrates to enhance interaction specificity and efficiency with targeted tumor cells is discussed in detail. Furthermore, this review emphasizes the importance of CTC capture and downstream processes involving genotypic and phenotypic CTC analysis in real time. These approaches enable early detection of metastasis progression, evaluation of chemotherapy treatment response, and monitoring of progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) in cancer patients. Royal Society of chemistry. View Manuscript Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 19 April 2023 AACR 2023: Detection of PD-L1, HER2 and EGFR on circulating tumor cells in carcinoma patients. CTC analysis in 134 patients successfully detected PD-L1, HER2, and EGFR, proving its value as a real-time guide for targeted therapies. Background Small molecular inhibitors and immunotherapy have emerged as a novel alternative treatment regime for a variety of epithelial cancers. A large number of clinical trials are in progress worldwide to gauge the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) against actionable targets such as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and program death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Although highly effective, the outcome of PD-L1 based ICI or TKI against RTKs is vitally contingent on the presence of PD-L1 or RTK expression on cancer cells. Determining druggable targets on the basis of solid biopsy could be often misleading, especially if a patient has progressed in spite of chemotherapy. This could be due to the intrinsic heterogeneity of tumor cells or therapeutic selection pressure or both, leading to alteration in the expression profile of the targets. Additionally, the immunohistochemistry result depends on a multitude of quality controls such as age and integrity of a biopsy sample, lab-to-lab variations in tissue block preparation, and degradation of targets due to chemical fixation methods. This unmet need of reliable detection and monitoring of actionable target expression could be addressed by circulating tumor cells (CTCs) based liquid biopsy tests. To this end, we have developed a CTC-based liquid biopsy assay to detect PD-L1, HER2, and EGFR expression in different epithelial cancers. Methods We retrospectively evaluated peripheral blood samples from a total of 134 carcinoma patients for the presence of CTCs expressing PD-L1, HER2, or EGFR markers respectively. Among these, 45% of patients had lung cancer, while 25% and 20% presented with breast, GI, and colorectal (CRC) malignancies. The remaining were gall bladder, ovarian, prostate, and head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. All lung cancer patients were analyzed for CTCs expressing PD-L1. CTCs were isolated from DCGI-approved OncoDiscover technology based on immunomagnetic targeting of epithelial cell surface molecules (EpCAM). EpCAM-targeted, magnetically isolated cells were considered CTCs on the basis of expression of cytokeratins, absence of CD45, and prominent presence of DAPI-stained nuclei. The presence or absence of aforesaid markers was determined using automated fluorescence imaging. Expression of PD-L1, HER2, or EGFR was detected by fluorescence microscopy using fluorescently labeled anti-PD-L1, HER2, or EGFR antibodies respectively. Based on fluorescence intensity, CTCs were binned as PD-L1, HER2, or EGFR negative for no detectable fluorescence signal, or weakly or strongly positive based on low or high fluorescence signal. Results Among the evaluated cohort, 51% of all CTCs showed the presence of PD-L1 expression, while 63% showed HER2-positive CTCs (all from breast cancer patients). 20% from the PD-L1 positive population showed strong PD-L1 expression. 78% of CTCs from lung cancer patients showed the presence of a detectable PD-L1 signal, while 66% of breast, GI, and CRC patients showed CTCs with PD-L1 expression. CTCs from HNC and gall bladder cancer patients showed the least PD-L1 expression (25% and 50% respectively). Among CTCs originating from different cancer types, breast cancer CTCs showed higher mean expression of PD-L1 compared to CTCs from colorectal cancer patients. A clear subset of CTCs for PD-L1 and HER2 expression was observed in lung and breast cancer patients respectively, suggesting heterogeneity in expression or the presence of different subclones within the same tumor type. Among all CTCs evaluated for EGFR expression, 50% showed the presence of detectable EGFR compared to the cut-off value. Conclusions CTCs isolated from cancers of epithelial origin showed the presence of PD-L1. Similarly, CTCs obtained from breast and lung cancer patients showed HER2 and EGFR expression respectively. Our data suggest that CTCs can be used as a real-time surrogate for molecular profiling of PD-L1, HER2, and EGFR expression, besides being a prognostic marker. Detection of PD-L1, HER2, and EGFR in CTCs offers a potential and viable alternative for immunotherapy or targeted therapy decisions in a vast majority of epithelial cancers. Know more Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Press Release | 6 March 2023 Pune start-up gets US patent for delivering drugs to site-specific organs The patent was granted to Actorius Innovations and Research and its team that designed capsule shells using natural polymer to obtain a delayed release profile suitable for delivery of drugs to colon and rectum, said Dr Jayant Khandare, founder-director and Chief Scientific Officer of the start-up. Changes in lifestyle and food habits are leading to many colon related diseases including cancers, he said. Delivery of drugs to colorectal site is most challenging as the dosage forms have to prevent the early release of drug in stomach and intestine, he said. This patent (US Patent No. 11596607) is titled "Polymer based formulation for the release of drugs and bioactives at specific GIT sites". Khandare said the technology composition does not involve cumbersome tablet processing, coating and enteric or other polymers. It also reduces processing cost with increased patient compliance, he added. The start-up completed the bio equivalence study which was approved by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in September 2020, Khandare said. Click the link below to read the full article. Know more Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 17 October 2025 Circulating Biomarkers Reveal their Complementary Association in Primary and Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Combined CTC and ctDNA analysis reveals strong prognostic value for monitoring progression and metastasis in colorectal cancer patients. Background Combined analysis of biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) overexpressing tumorigenic proteins offers insight into evolving genotypic transitions from primary tumors that lead to metastasis in distant organs. We report the comparative distribution of CTCs and ctDNA genomic profiling in patients stratified as primary colorectal cancer (CRC) patients alone and those with metastasis progression in the liver, lung, and lymph nodes. Methods Retrospectively, we analyzed 218 patients with primary CRC (n = 153; male n = 93 and female n = 60). Metastasis was accounted for in 65 patients, namely liver (n = 27), lung (n = 8), and lymph nodes (n = 30). A total of 285 peripheral blood samples (218 baseline and 67 follow-up) were analyzed for the distribution of CTCs and ctDNA with driver mutations. CTCs expressing PD-L1 were evaluated using the CDSCO-approved OncoDiscover platform using 1.5 ml of blood. CTCs were enumerated based on EpCAM+, CK18+, DAPI+, and CD45– markers using a Zeiss automated fluorescence microscope. Further, the OncoIndx comprehensive NGS assay was performed using a 1080-gene panel. Results At baseline, 64.8% of primary CRC patients had ≥1 CTC (mean CTC distribution ~1.1), while 55.9% of patients had detectable ctDNA. In patients with metastasis (n = 65), the mean CTC distribution was 1.8. Higher CTC distribution was observed in liver metastasis (41.5%), lymph node involvement (46.2%), and lung metastasis (12.3%). A total of 71.7% of patients had detectable CTCs, among which 88.2% showed PD-L1 expression, while 61.3% of patients had detectable ctDNA. Concordance rates were 83.7% and 100% between the presence of CTCs and ctDNA in baseline and follow-up samples from patients with primary cancer, respectively. Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between elevated CTC counts and the presence of ctDNA mutations in key oncogenes, including KRAS, EGFR, and BRAF. Conclusions Higher co-occurrence of ctDNA with CTCs at both baseline and follow-up highlights the need for monitoring disease progression and assessing treatment response. Thus, combined analysis of CTCs and ctDNA provides significant prognostic value in metastatic colorectal cancer. View Publication Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Manuscript | 17 January 2017 Manuscript: Biofunctionalized Capillary Flow Channel Platform Integrated with 3D Nanostructured Matrix to Capture Circulating Tumor Cells Continuous-flow 3D microchannel platform captures circulating tumor cells with ~90% efficiency, enabling liquid biopsy and real-time cancer monitoring. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood provide valuable genetic information for cancer diagnosis and overall disease monitoring. The analysis of “liquid biopsy” holds immense promise, as it may lead to new approaches for cancer treatment. This study reports an effective continuous-flow microchannel system for isolating CTCs using a transferrin-conjugated 3D matrix synthesized by crosslinking polyethylene glycol–Fe₃O₄ nanostructures. This design enables rapid and efficient capture of CTCs. The platform also allows the use of multiple microchannel units in series, which can enhance cell capture efficiency by increasing the frequency of cell–substrate contact. CTCs were captured with high efficiency even at low target cell concentrations, achieving approximately 90% capture efficiency at 25 cells per mL of blood. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that cell capture performance is influenced by topographic interactions between the nanostructure-based matrix and the cancer cells of interest. In addition, this work presents a proof of concept using a 3D microchannel system capable of simultaneously capturing and permanently eliminating CTCs from peripheral blood samples. The study also evaluates clinical samples from colon and breast cancer patients for the rapid isolation of CTCs. Conclusively, the platform demonstrates a strong capacity for cancer cell sorting, biological studies of CTCs, and investigation of cancer metastasis, potentially benefiting real-time liquid biopsy applications and early cancer prognosis. View Manuscript Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 6 June 2023 ASCO 2023: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection and isolation in different subtypes of early-stage breast cancer patients from Bangladesh. A trial found CTCs in 60% of early-stage breast cancer patients, notably all HER2-positive cases, linking them to tumor grade. Send the next! Background Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous pathophysiology characterized by poor outcomes. Due to the increasing incidence and disease progression rates and undefined relapse periods, reliable disease monitoring is a challenge and has remained an unmet need. Advancements in liquid biopsy have significantly enhanced our understanding of clinical oncology. CTC-based liquid biopsy is emerging as a reliable prognostic tool to predict various clinical indicators. Although extensively investigated in metastatic breast cancers, little is known about CTCs in early-stage breast cancers. CTCs with respect to different molecular subtypes of breast cancer in early-stage breast cancer patients is evaluated. Methods In this prospective clinical trial (CMC 59.27.0000.013.19 PG.009.2022/262), 40 early-stage patients with luminal (A + B, 33.33%), HER2-positive (12.8%), triple-negative (12.8%), and undetermined (41.07%) subtypes were recruited. CTCs were isolated in 1.5 ml blood using the Drug Controller General of India approved OncoDiscover CTC test. This platform contains affinity-based magnetic nanoparticles to mediate EpCAM-based CTC isolation. CTCs were detected as CK18+, DAPI+, and CD45- cells using a fluorescence detection-based automated digital imaging platform. Results CTCs were detected in 60% of patients with a mean CTC count of 1 cell / 1.5 ml blood. Among total positive patients, the luminal subtype was the least positive (46%), followed by TNBC (60%) and undetermined (62.5%) subgroups, while all HER2-positive patients showed the presence of CTCs. Besides individual cells, CTC clusters were detected in 12.5% of patients, and they were equally distributed in luminal and HER2-positive subpopulations. When analyzed on the scale of tumor grade, grade I patients did not show the presence of CTCs, while 58.33% of grade II patients had ≥ 1 CTC. All grade III patients showed the presence of ≥ 1 CTC. CTC count was high among CTC-positive grade II patients (average 2 CTCs) and correlated well with the presence of CTC clusters in these patients. Patients who had surgical intervention had a low CTC burden compared to patients who did not have a surgical resection. 75% of treatment-naive patients showed the presence of CTCs, while 58% of patients receiving chemotherapy alone showed the presence of 1 CTC. 50% of patients who had surgery followed by CT + RT showed the presence of 1 CTC. Conclusions The presence of CTCs may suggest the biological progression of disease in early-stage BC patients. CTCs detected in all HER2-positive patients suggested the high shedding nature of these tumors, which correlates well with their reported migratory tendency. The presence of CTCs did not show a clear correlation with the treatment regimen. However, this data is based on a single time point and needs longitudinal correlation with CTCs on a larger sample size. Clinical Trial Information 59.27.0000.013.19 PG.009.2022/262. Know more Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 8 June 2021 ASCO 2021: CTCs demonstrate a positive biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in tobacco consuming population of Bangladesh. A study in Bangladesh found CTCs in 64% of HNSCC patients with chronic tobacco history, suggesting CTCs as a screening tool for early cancer detection. Background Tobacco consumption accounts for 1.6 million deaths annually in the South East Asia Region (SEAR). Notably, amongst the 10-20% of the global population consuming betel quid and tobacco, about an 81% concentration is in SEAR regions, including India and Bangladesh. The prevalence of HNSCC in these regions is rising alarmingly. For example, HNCs account for 23% of the total 156,775 cancer incidences in Bangladesh. Liquid biopsy tools are unavailable and expensive for most patients in this region. However, early cancer detection using tumor biomarkers, for example, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), is highly implicated. Furthermore, such biomarkers are being validated and have the potential for screening high-risk patients, such as those with a genetic predisposition or tobacco consumption. We report the first observational study in HNSCC patients in Bangladesh correlating the presence of CTCs to chronic tobacco consumption. Methods The study involved 70 cancer patients and 10 healthy volunteers (no prior cancer history). 87% of the patients had a specified history of chronic tobacco consumption. CTCs were isolated in 1.5 ml of blood using the OncoDiscover Liquid Biopsy Test, which is clinically approved by the Drug Controller General of India, and contains an enriching anti-EPCAM antibody immunomagnetic kit. CTCs are qualified as CK18+, DAPI+, and CD45-. Subsequently, CTCs were imaged using a Zeiss Axio Observer 7 and quantified for Mean Fluorescence Intensity (MFI) for clinicopathological parameters: age/gender, HNSCC sub-population, and CTC distribution. Results This is the 1st study on the Bangladesh phenotype accounting for the presence of CTCs in HNSCC patients. In this population, 34 males (66%) and 10 females (52%) accounted for 91 CTCs. CTC distribution was 0 to 6 with a mean and median of ~ 2.02 and 2, respectively. 25 patients (17 males, 8 females) were negative for any CTCs. Interestingly, 2 patients exhibited CTC clusters indicative of aggressive metastasis, in which 1 patient had no prior tobacco usage or family cancer history. There was no correlation between CTC presence in males (66%) and females (52%). Healthy volunteer samples exhibited no false positives. The MFI values ranged between 23 and 766, with mean and median MFI values of 157 and 96, respectively, indicative of CK overexpression on CTCs of HNSCC patients. Conclusions HNSCC patients with a history of chronic tobacco consumption in Bangladesh correlated with the presence of CTCs in 64% of the cases. Prospectively, CTCs may be validated as a biomarker for screening chronic tobacco users in Bangladesh to detect early cancers and HNSCC. Clinical Trial Information BMRC/Grants/2018/99 (1-100). Know more Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Press Release | 17 March 2026 Actorius Innovations pioneers' oncology care with its OncoDiscover and OncoMetastat solutions Dr. Jayant Khandare Leads Actorius with Pathbreaking Innovations in Cancer Detection and Metastasis Control Actorius Innovations and Research Pvt Ltd, a pioneering Indo-US biotechnology company revolutionizing oncology through advanced circulating tumor cell (CTC) technologies, continues to make significant strides under the visionary leadership of Dr. Jayant Khandare, Founder, Managing Director, and Chief Scientific Officer. Click the button below to read the full story Know more Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 17 March 2026 ASCO 2026 : Association of circulating tumor cells with PD-L1 expression and clusters in confirmative tumor thrombus in selective solid cancers. Study shows circulating tumor cells with PD-L1 expression in tumor thrombus patients, indicating active dissemination and potential metastatic risk. Abstract Background Tumor thrombus (TT) refers to the direct extension of tumor cells into a blood vessel and is often detected incidentally. It is commonly observed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and Wilms tumor. The presence of TT significantly worsens prognosis and alters disease staging. TT is frequently located in vessels such as the renal vein, inferior vena cava, and portal vein, requiring multidisciplinary evaluation due to its aggressive nature and risk of obstruction or embolization. Diagnostic differentiation between tumor thrombus and a “bland” thrombus (blood clot) typically relies on imaging techniques such as CT or MRI. In this study, we evaluated the association and potential role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) expressing immune-relevant markers, such as PD-L1, in patients with tumor thrombus. The presence of CTCs originating from TT margins may help refine risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making. Methods In this observational study, 12 patients aged 51–80 years with confirmed tumor thrombus were analyzed. The cohort included patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 4), pancreatic cancer (n = 3), liver cancer (n = 3), renal cell carcinoma (RCC, n = 1), and gallbladder cancer (GB, n = 1). Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of CTCs with PD-L1 expression at baseline, and three patients also had follow-up samples. Samples were processed using the CDSCO-approved OncoDiscover CTC enrichment technology. CTCs were identified using an automated Zeiss microscope based on EpCAM⁺, CK18⁺, DAPI⁺, CD45⁻, and PD-L1⁺ markers. Results A total of 16 CTCs were detected in 10 patients (83.33%) from 1.5 mL blood samples, with counts ranging from 1 to 6 CTCs per patient. At baseline, patients with HCC, pancreatic, RCC, gallbladder, and other cancers showed the presence of PD-L1–expressing CTCs. Follow-up samples revealed persistent CTC positivity, although the number of PD-L1–positive CTCs decreased. The mean CTC distribution was 1.33 for CK18-expressing CTCs. PD-L1–positive CTCs were detected in a substantial subset, with a mean distribution of 0.67 (9 CTCs among 12 patients), indicating immune-evasive potential. CTC clusters were rare and detected in only one HCC patient but persisted during follow-up. Both male and female patients demonstrated comparable CTC positivity. Conclusion The presence of CTCs in peripheral blood highlights active tumor cell dissemination from tumor thrombus margins. Although CTC clusters were infrequent, their occurrence may indicate an increased metastatic risk. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the presence of CTCs originating from tumor thrombus margins entering systemic circulation. Further studies are required to better understand their clinical implications. View Publication Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 17 March 2026 ASCO 26: Assessment of circulating tumor cells and clusters expressing PD-L1 in urological cancers High prevalence of PD-L1–positive circulating tumor cells in urological cancers, especially prostate cancer, indicating minimal residual disease and recurrence risk. Abstract Background Urological cancers, including prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular, and penile cancers, often fail to show symptoms or show only nonspecific symptoms at early stages. This leads to delayed diagnosis, treatment decisions, and outcomes. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) predict the outcome in metastatic prostate cancer (PC). Furthermore, in bladder cancer, CTC positivity is linked to muscle invasion, higher recurrence risk, and worse clinical outcomes. CTC PD-L1 expression could evade immune elimination. In spite of complete remission, a higher percentage of patients are known to recur in urothelial cancers. CTCs acting as minimal cellular residual disease (MCRD) are highly implicated, knowing their capacity to be dormant systemically with extravasation and invasion to distant organs. We analyzed the presence of CTCs with PD-L1 over-expression in urological cancers at baseline and follow-ups. Methods Retrospectively, a total of 359 urological cancer patients were evaluated for CTC positivity, including 307 at baseline and 52 follow-up samples. The cancer type distribution was prostate cancer (n = 139), bladder (n = 188), kidney (n = 10), testes (n = 2), penis (n = 8), urothelial (n = 12), etc. Ninety-five percent of the patients were male (n = 293) and 5% were female (n = 14), with most patients aged 61 to 80 years. CTCs expressing PD-L1, positive CTCs, and CTC clusters were analyzed using OncoDiscover® PD-L1 markers and a Zeiss fluorescence automated microscope. Demographics, cancer mean distribution, and CTC and cluster frequency were analyzed. Results Of the 359 patients, CTCs were detected in 68.2% (245/359) of patients, while PD-L1 over-expression on CTCs was present in 49.9% (179/359) of patients. However, CTC clusters were uncommon and occurred in 7.2% (26/359) of patients. Across cancer types (total CTCs = 436), prostate cancer accounted for higher CTCs with a mean CTC distribution of 2.18, while bladder was 0.74, urothelial 0.34, testes 0.18, kidney 0.74, and penis 0.38, respectively. CTC PD-L1 was highest in prostate cancer (46.1%) compared to other cancers, and CTC cluster prevalence was 1.8% in prostate cancer, urothelial (0.9%), and bladder (0.2%) cancers. In CTC-positive cases, 56.3% of patients had only one CTC, 27.8% showed two CTCs, and 8.2% had three. The mean across all patients was 0.6 for CTCs, 0.3 for CTC-PD-L1 positive, and 0.1 for clusters. Conclusions CTCs with PD-L1-positive overexpression were observed across urological cancers, being particularly higher in prostate cancer compared to bladder, kidney, and penis cancers. Many patients are known to recur in spite of complete remission, possibly due to the presence of aggressive CTCs in circulation that could evade the immune system. More studies assessing the presence of CTCs with PD-L1 expression are justified in urological cancers for minimal cellular residual disease and as prognostication. View Publication Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe

Publications | 16 September 2025 PD-L1 overexpression on circulating tumor cells and CTC clusters: A potential biomarker across solid carcinomas Correlation of CTC detection, PD-L1 expression, and CTC clusters highlights biomarkers for minimal residual disease and cancer progression monitoring. Abstract Background Overexpression of the dynamic protein PD-L1 on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a highly implicative biomarker that represents post–curative intent status, minimal residual disease (MRD), disease aggressiveness, therapeutic response, and metastatic progression. We evaluated the correlation among CTC detection, PD-L1 expression, and CTC clusters present in solid tumors, namely lung, breast, colorectal, ovarian, and prostate carcinomas. Longitudinal monitoring of CTCs remains a major focus after treatments, including surgical intervention with curative intent. Methods Retrospectively, we analyzed 328 cancer patients (male 163, female 165) across stages, consisting of a total of 383 samples with baseline and follow-ups (n = 55). Cancer types included lung (27.13%), colorectal cancer (21.95%), breast (9.75%), ovary (4.2%), prostate (3.9%), and others. CTCs and clusters were detected from 1.5 ml peripheral blood using the OncoDiscover platform approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of India. The platform contains a multifunctional magneto-nanosystem mediated by anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) antibody. CTCs were confirmed as EpCAM+ve, CK18+ve, DAPI+ve, and CD45–ve. PD-L1 expression on CTCs was detected based on the linear intensity gradients of fluorescence signals using image acquisition on an automated fluorescence microscope. Results Among the 383 samples with baseline and follow-ups, 69.45% of patients had CTCs ranging from 1–11. Approximately 77% of patients were above the age of 50. The total number of CTCs observed was ~649 with a mean distribution of ~1.69. CTCs with PD-L1 overexpression were observed in 55.35% of patients (n = 266). Higher CTC prevalence was observed in lung cancer (24.75%), followed by colorectal cancer (21.57%) and breast cancer (5.89%). CTC clusters were observed in 10.18% of patient samples. Notably, concurrent positivity for both CTCs and PD-L1 expression was most prevalent in lung cancer patients, suggesting a potential aggressive disease phenotype and therapeutic vulnerability. Conclusions The findings support the integrated use of CTCs and their PD-L1 expression as a composite biomarker strategy to stratify patients for targeted therapies, immunotherapeutic interventions, and longitudinal monitoring. View Publication Never Miss a Breakthrough. Get the latest news and innovations from OncoMetastat delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for regular updates Email* Yes, subscribe me for regular updates. * Subscribe