Abstract 260: Identifying cancer drug sensitivity using live cell imaging dynamic BH3 profiling of solid tumor core biopsies

Given the rapid development of new small molecule cancer therapeutics, there is a growing need for predictive diagnostics to match cancer patients with optimal therapies. We previously developed a precision medicine technology with a functional phenotypic readout called dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP). DBP exposes cancer cells to drugs and measures induction of apoptotic cell death signaling after 24 hours ex vivo. Nonetheless, the application of DBP to core biopsies from metastatic tumors or other limited samples remains a technical challenge. Here, we adapt the DBP protocol for use on samples with small numbers of cells such as core biopsies. We maximize information returned per cell by imaging mitochondrial integrity in response to BH3 peptide exposure over time. We first show that the adapted protocol works in limited numbers of cancer cell lines, and in limited cells from the MMTV-PyMT genetically engineered mouse model of breast cancer. Specifically, we show that our ex vivo DBP predictions of the MMTV-PyMT mouse tumor matches known in vivo response. Finally, we apply our modified protocol to patient derived xenografts of colon cancer and primary patient colon tumors. We expect that our adapted protocol will find utility as a clinical biomarker, and as a method to optimize pre-clinical drug testing. Citation Format: Rebecca German, Elizaveta Lavrova, Timothy Hagan, Otari Chipashvili, Ewa Sicinska, James Cleary, Kimmie Ng, Anthony Letai, Patrick Bhola. Identifying cancer drug sensitivity using live cell imaging dynamic BH3 profiling of solid tumor core biopsies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 260.