November 13, 2024 — A simple blood test developed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers could provide a non-invasive method for monitoring potentially fatal lung damage in patients taking cancer drugs without the need for frequent scans.
According to the study published in ESMO Open, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), such as the widely used cancer drug Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan), represent a new wave of targeted therapies. However, these drugs can sometimes cause interstitial lung disease (ILD)—a serious condition that can lead to significant lung damage if left untreated.
“ADCs and other novel cancer therapies are powerful treatments, but monitoring their side effects can be complex,” said Dr. Albert Grinshpun from the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine and the Sharett Institute of Oncology at Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center. “This blood test could offer a low-cost, non-invasive way to detect lung damage early on, helping patients get timely care without relying solely on scans.”
In this study, researchers retrospectively examined blood from patients with metastatic HER2-positive cancers who were treated with Enhertu, some of whom developed lung damage during treatment. By analyzing these samples, the team detected markers of lung damage that matched symptoms confirmed by a CT Scan.
The research team aims to develop this method further for broader clinical use.
The research paper, titled “Detection of antibody-drug conjugate-induced interstitial lung disease using circulating cell-free DNA,” is now available at ESMO Open, and can be accessed here.
Researchers:
- Grinshpun1,2,3, A. Zick1,3, T. Perri3,4, A. Naim1, P. Tarantino5,6, S.M. Tolaney5,6, J. Magenheim7, O. Fridlich8
Institution:
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem
- Hadassah Cancer Research Institute and Wohl Institute for Translational Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem
- The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem
- Department of Gyneco-Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem
- Center for Liquid Biopsy at the Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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