Heterogeneity of Circulating Tumor Cell Neoplastic Subpopulations Outlined by Single-Cell Transcriptomics

Authors

Christine M. Pauken, Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
Shelby Ray Kenney, Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
Kathryn J. Brayer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
Yan Guo, Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
Ursa A. Brown-Glaberman, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM 87120, USA
Dario Marchetti, Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-29-2021

Abstract

Fatal metastasis occurs when circulating tumor cells (CTCs) disperse through the blood to initiate a new tumor at specific sites distant from the primary tumor. CTCs have been classically defined as nucleated cells positive for epithelial cell adhesion molecule and select cytokeratins (EpCAM/CK/DAPI), while negative for the common lymphocyte marker CD45. The enumeration of CTCs allows an estimation of the overall metastatic burden in breast cancer patients, but challenges regarding CTC heterogeneity and metastatic propensities persist, and their decryption could improve therapies. CTCs from metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients were captured using the RareCyte

Recommended Citation

Pauken CM, Kenney SR, Brayer KJ, Guo Y, Brown-Glaberman UA, Marchetti D. Heterogeneity of Circulating Tumor Cell Neoplastic Subpopulations Outlined by Single-Cell Transcriptomics. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Sep 29;13(19):4885. doi: 10.3390/cancers13194885. PMID: 34638368; PMCID: PMC8508335.