Marta Grazzini

Bio: Marta Grazzini is an academic researcher from University of Florence. The author has contributed to research in topics: Melanoma & Cutaneous melanoma. The author has an hindex of 20, co-authored 83 publications receiving 1498 citations.

Treatment with β-blockers and reduced disease progression in patients with thick melanoma.

Abstract: Preclinical evidence shows that β-adrenoceptor antagonists (β-blockers) inhibit tumor and metastasis progression in animal models of melanoma. We hypothesized that the use of β-blockers for concomitant diseases is associated with a reduced risk of progression of thick (Breslow thickness >1 mm) malignant melanoma. Two patient subgroups were identified from the medical records of 121 consecutive patients with a thick melanoma. Of these, 30 patients had been prescribed β-blockers for 1 year or more (treated subgroup), whereas the other 91 were untreated. After a median follow-up time of 2.5 years, tumor progression was observed in 3.3% of the treated subgroup and in 34.1% of the untreated subgroup. The Cox model on progression indicated a 36% (95% confidence interval, 11%-54%) (P = .002) risk reduction for each year of β-blocker use. No deaths were observed in the treated group, whereas in the untreated group 24 patients died. To our knowledge, the present study suggests for the first time that exposure to β-blockers for 1 year or more is associated with a reduced risk of progression of thick malignant melanoma, indicating the need for larger epidemiological studies and randomized clinical trials.

Propranolol for Off-label Treatment of Patients With Melanoma: Results From a Cohort Study.

Abstract: Importance Preclinical and retrospective studies showed that β-blockers inhibit angiogenesis and disrupt migration of melanoma cells via inhibition of noradrenaline-dependent responses. Objective To study the clinical effectiveness of β-blocker therapy in patients with melanoma and to determine whether propranolol improves progression-free survival in patients with melanoma. Design, Setting, and Participants We conducted a prospective study in patients treated for melanoma in our center with propranolol for off-label use. Patients with histologically confirmed stage IB to IIIA cutaneous melanoma and no evidence of metastasis were eligible for the study. At the time of diagnosis, they were asked to take propranolol (80 mg daily) as an off-label adjuvant treatment. If they accepted the treatment, they were considered part of the propranolol cohort (PROP). If they refused treatment but agreed to participate in the study control group, they were considered part of the nonpropranolol cohort (No-PROP). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was progression-free survival. Disease progression was assessed by evaluating the presence of lymphatic, in-transit, or visceral metastases, and the cause of death was recorded. Results Among the 53 patients (median [interquartile range] age 63 [48-75] years; 33 men) included in the study, 19 were eligible for the PROP cohort. Thirty-four patients otherwise eligible but unwilling to take propranolol were enrolled in the No-PROP cohort. The 2 cohorts were comparable in terms of demographic characteristics and primary prognostic factors at baseline. After adjusting for known prognostic factors, Cox models confirmed that use of propranolol at the time of diagnosis was significantly inversely associated with recurrence of melanoma with approximately an 80% risk reduction for propranolol users (hazard ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.89;P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance In the absence of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, this study is the first off-label study of which we are aware of propranolol for melanoma treatment. These results confirm recent observation that β-blockers protect patients with thick cutaneous melanoma from disease recurrence. This study is in accordance with the present policy of “drug repurposing” in oncology. Repurposing the vast arsenal of approved drugs with a nononcology primary purpose may prove an attractive and inexpensive strategy for offering more effective treatment options to patients with cancer.

Cutaneous manifestations of breast carcinoma.

Abstract: The incidence of breast carcinoma cutaneous manifestation in patients with breast carcinoma is 23.9%. The most common sites of breast carcinoma cutaneous manifestation are the chest wall and abdomen, but they can occur at the extremities and in the head/neck region. Due the high incidence of breast carcinoma, these cutaneous manifestations are the most common metastases seen by dermatologists. In clinical practice, cutaneous metastases show a wide range of clinical manifestations. Nodules are the most common presentation, but several other patterns are described below.

Effect of β-blockers and other antihypertensive drugs on the risk of melanoma recurrence and death.

Abstract: Objective To verify preliminary studies on patients with melanoma exposed to β-blockers that suggested a reduced risk of disease recurrence and death. Patients and Methods Data were obtained from all consecutive patients diagnosed as having melanoma between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 2009, at the Department of Dermatology of the University of Florence, Azienda Sanitaria di Firenze. Participants were excluded if at baseline they reported a previous diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma or another malignant disease. We also excluded participants with evidence of visceral, lymph nodal, and in-transit metastasis at the time of the diagnosis. Results Of 741 consecutive patients with melanoma, 79 (11%) were prescribed β-blockers (for hypertension in most cases) for 1 or more years (treated) and 662 (89%) were not (untreated). The multivariate Cox model indicated that the treated group had improved overall survival after a median follow-up of 4 years ( P =.005). For each year of β-blocker use, the risk of death was reduced by 38%. The presence of hypertension, the use of antihypertensive agents for 1 or more years, or the use of other commonly used medicines were not associated with a better outcome for patients with melanoma. Conclusion The results confirm and strengthen previous findings that β-blocker use is associated with a reduced risk of melanoma recurrence and death. The results also indicate the strong need for a randomized clinical trial to conclusively assess whether β-blockers afford protection against melanoma recurrence and death.

Liquid Biopsies: Genotyping Circulating Tumor DNA

Abstract: Genotyping tumor tissue in search of somatic genetic alterations for actionable information has become routine practice in clinical oncology. Although these sequence alterations are highly informative, sampling tumor tissue has significant inherent limitations; tumor tissue is a single snapshot in time, is subject to selection bias resulting from tumor heterogeneity, and can be difficult to obtain. Cell-free fragments of DNA are shed into the bloodstream by cells undergoing apoptosis or necrosis, and the load of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) correlates with tumor staging and prognosis. Moreover, recent advances in the sensitivity and accuracy of DNA analysis have allowed for genotyping of cfDNA for somatic genomic alterations found in tumors. The ability to detect and quantify tumor mutations has proven effective in tracking tumor dynamics in real time as well as serving as a liquid biopsy that can be used for a variety of clinical and investigational applications not previously possible.

Isolation of circulating tumor cells using a microvortex-generating herringbone-chip

Abstract: Rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) present in the bloodstream of patients with cancer provide a potentially accessible source for detection, characterization, and monitoring of nonhematological cancers. We previously demonstrated the effectiveness of a microfluidic device, the CTC-Chip, in capturing these epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-expressing cells using antibody-coated microposts. Here, we describe a high-throughput microfluidic mixing device, the herringbone-chip, or “HB-Chip,” which provides an enhanced platform for CTC isolation. The HB-Chip design applies passive mixing of blood cells through the generation of microvortices to significantly increase the number of interactions between target CTCs and the antibody-coated chip surface. Efficient cell capture was validated using defined numbers of cancer cells spiked into control blood, and clinical utility was demonstrated in specimens from patients with prostate cancer. CTCs were detected in 14 of 15 (93%) patients with metastatic disease (median = 63 CTCs/mL, mean = 386 ± 238 CTCs/mL), and the tumor-specific TMPRSS2-ERG translocation was readily identified following RNA isolation and RT-PCR analysis. The use of transparent materials allowed for imaging of the captured CTCs using standard clinical histopathological stains, in addition to immunofluorescence-conjugated antibodies. In a subset of patient samples, the low shear design of the HB-Chip revealed microclusters of CTCs, previously unappreciated tumor cell aggregates that may contribute to the hematogenous dissemination of cancer.

Molecular pathways: beta-adrenergic signaling in cancer.

Abstract: β-adrenergic signaling has been found to regulate multiple cellular processes that contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer, including inflammation, angiogenesis, apoptosis/anoikis, cell motility and trafficking, activation of tumor-associated viruses, DNA damage repair, cellular immune response, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In several experimental cancer models, activation of the sympathetic nervous system promotes the metastasis of solid epithelial tumors and the dissemination of hematopoietic malignancies via β-adrenoreceptor-mediated activation of PKA and EPAC signaling pathways. Within the tumor microenvironment, β-adrenergic receptors on tumor and stromal cells are activated by catecholamines from local sympathetic nerve fibers (norepinephrine) and circulating blood (epinephrine). Tumor-associated macrophages are emerging as key targets of β-adrenergic regulation in several cancer contexts. Sympathetic nervous system regulation of cancer cell biology and the tumor microenvironment has clarified the molecular basis for long-suspected relationships between stress and cancer progression and now suggest a highly leveraged target for therapeutic intervention. Epidemiologic studies have linked the use of β-blockers to reduced rates of progression for several solid tumors, and pre-clinical pharmacologic and biomarker studies are now laying the groundwork for translation of β-blockade as a novel adjuvant to existing therapeutic strategies in clinical oncology.

Size-selective collection of circulating tumor cells using Vortex technology

Abstract: A blood-based, low cost alternative to radiation intensive CT and PET imaging is critically needed for cancer prognosis and management of its treatment. "Liquid biopsies" of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a relatively non-invasive blood draw are particularly ideal, as they can be repeated regularly to provide up to date molecular information about the cancer, which would also open up key opportunities for personalized therapies. Beyond solely diagnostic applications, CTCs are also a subject of interest for drug development and cancer research. In this paper, we adapt a technology previously introduced, combining the use of micro-scale vortices and inertial focusing, specifically for the high-purity extraction of CTCs from blood samples. First, we systematically varied parameters including channel dimensions and flow rates to arrive at an optimal device for maximum trapping efficiency and purity. Second, we validated the final device for capture of cancer cell lines in blood, considering several factors, including the effect of blood dilution, red blood cell lysis and cell deformability, while demonstrating cell viability and independence on EpCAM expression. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, CTCs were successfully extracted and enumerated from the blood of patients with breast (N = 4, 25-51 CTCs per 7.5 mL) and lung cancer (N = 8, 23-317 CTCs per 7.5 mL). Importantly, samples were highly pure with limited leukocyte contamination (purity 57-94%). This Vortex approach offers significant advantages over existing technologies, especially in terms of processing time (20 min for 7.5 mL of whole blood), sample concentration (collecting cells in a small volume down to 300 μL), applicability to various cancer types, cell integrity and purity. We anticipate that its simplicity will aid widespread adoption by clinicians and biologists who desire to not only enumerate CTCs, but also uncover new CTC biology, such as unique gene mutations, vesicle secretion and roles in metastatic processes.