title: Blood platelets contain tumor-derived RNA biomarkers.
abstract: Diagnostic platforms providing biomarkers that are highly predictive for diagnosing, monitoring, and stratifying cancer patients are key instruments in the development of personalized medicine. We demonstrate that tumor cells transfer (mutant) RNA into blood platelets in vitro and in vivo, and show that blood platelets isolated from glioma and prostate cancer patients contain the cancer-associated RNA biomarkers EGFRvIII and PCA3, respectively. In addition, gene-expression profiling revealed a distinct RNA signature in platelets from glioma patients compared with normal control subjects. Because platelets are easily accessible and isolated, they may form an attractive platform for the companion diagnostics of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Neuro-oncology Research Group, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R Jonas A
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Leonora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balaj
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hulleman
authors.forename: Sjoerd
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Rijn
authors.forename: D Michiel
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pegtel
authors.forename: Maudy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walraven
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Widmark
authors.forename: Winald R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Gerritsen
authors.forename: Henk M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Verheul
authors.forename: W Peter
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Vandertop
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Noske
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skog
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Würdinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm; D005910:Glioma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012313:RNA