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C. elegans-based chemosensation strategy for the early detection of cancer metabolites in urine samples.

Enrico Lanza | Martina Di Rocco | Silvia Schwartz | Davide Caprini | Edoardo Milanetti | Giuseppe Ferrarese | Maria Teresa Lonardo | Luca Pannone | Giancarlo Ruocco | Simone Martinelli | Viola Folli
Scientific reports | 2021

Chemosensory receptors play a crucial role in distinguishing the wide range of volatile/soluble molecules by binding them with high accuracy. Chemosensation is the main sensory modality in organisms lacking long-range sensory mechanisms like vision/hearing. Despite its low number of sensory neurons, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possesses several chemosensory receptors, allowing it to detect about as many odorants as mammals. Here, we show that C. elegans displays attraction towards urine samples of women with breast cancer, avoiding control ones. Behavioral assays on animals lacking AWC sensory neurons demonstrate the relevance of these neurons in sensing cancer odorants: calcium imaging on AWC increases the accuracy of the discrimination (97.22%). Also, chemotaxis assays on animals lacking GPCRs expressed in AWC allow to identify receptors involved in binding cancer metabolites, suggesting that an alteration of a few metabolites is sufficient for the cancer discriminating behavior of C. elegans, which may help identify a fundamental fingerprint of breast cancer.

Pubmed ID: 34429473

Research resources used in this publication

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Associated grants

  • Agency: NIH HHS, United States
    Id: P40 OD010440

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MATLAB (tool)

RRID:SCR_001622

Multi paradigm numerical computing environment and fourth generation programming language developed by MathWorks. Allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages, including C, C++, Java, Fortran and Python. Used to explore and visualize ideas and collaborate across disciplines including signal and image processing, communications, control systems, and computational finance.

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Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (tool)

RRID:SCR_007341

Center that acquires, maintains, and distributes genetic stocks and information about stocks of the small free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for use by investigators initiating or continuing research on this genetic model organism. A searchable strain database, general information about C. elegans, and links to key Web sites of use to scientists, including WormBase, WormAtlas, and WormBook are available.

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PS6374 (tool)

RRID:WB-STRAIN:WBStrain00030975

Caenorhabditis elegans with name pha-1(e2123) III; him-5(e1490) V; syEx1240. from WB.

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