BostonGene Announces Publication in Clinical Cancer Research Identifying the Cellular Features and Gene Expression Characteristics Underlying MRI Visibility in Prostate Cancer

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BostonGene Corporation, a biomedical software company committed to defining optimal precision medicine-based therapies for cancer patients, today announced the online publication of the manuscript, “Single-cell Spatial Proteomic Revelations on the Multiparametric MRI Heterogeneity of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer” in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. The study, led by oncologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis – in collaboration with BostonGene – identified distinct molecular, cellular, and structural characteristics associated with MRI-visible clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa).

Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) has increased the detection rate and has improved the prediction rate of prostate cancer; however, mpMRI is unable to detect almost 15% of csPCa and often misidentifies healthy patients as csPCa. To uncover the mechanisms underlying MRI visibility in csPCa, the group performed the first integrated multi-omics analysis of clinically matched mpMRI-invisible and -visible PCa. Tumor tissues from clinically matched patients with mpMRI-invisible and mpMRI-visible csPCa who underwent radical prostatectomy were evaluated. In this collaborative study, BostonGene performed integrated analysis of multiplex immunofluorescence single-cell spatial imaging and gene expression profiling with its artificial intelligence-based analytic algorithms to examine the tumor and surrounding microenvironment. Expression profiling identified a stromal enrichment signature in mpMRI-invisible PCa that correlated with better PCa clinical outcomes. Interestingly, mpMRI-invisible tumors displayed molecular, cellular, and structural features more akin to normal prostate tissue, which may render these tumors undetectable by MRI imaging.

“This AI-based analytical approach could distinctly identify the molecular and cellular composition of tumor tissue. Integrated multi-omics analysis in conjunction with mpMRI shows promise for the diagnosis and personalization of treatment options for patients with clinically significant prostate cancer,” said Russell K. Pachynski, MD, lead study author and genitourinary medical oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and its affiliated Siteman Cancer Center.

“The results of our collaboration with Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center validate the use of multiplexed immune-fluorescent microscopy and gene expression profiling coupled with cutting-edge analytics to solve clinical unmet needs,” said Nathan Fowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer at BostonGene. “Our findings created an opportunity to improve PCa patient outcomes."

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About BostonGene Corporation

BostonGene’s mission is to power healthcare’s transition to personalized medicine using our AI-based molecular and immune profiling to improve the standard of care, accelerate research, and improve economics. BostonGene Tumor Portrait Tests^TM reveal key drivers of each tumor, including immune microenvironment properties, actionable mutations, biomarkers of response to diverse therapies, and recommended therapies. Through these comprehensive analyses, BostonGene Tumor Portrait Tests^TM generate a personalized roadmap for therapeutic decision-making for each cancer patient. For more information, visit BostonGene at http://www.BostonGene.com.