title: Blood-based assay with secreted Gaussia luciferase to monitor tumor metastasis.
abstract: Only a few techniques are currently available for quantifying systemic metastases in preclinical models. Cancer cell expression of naturally secreted Gaussia luciferase (Gluc) provides a useful circulating biomarker that enables the monitoring of metastatic tumor burden and of treatment response from minimal drops of blood. This blood-based Gluc assay exhibits several distinct advantages: (1) It is highly sensitive in quantifying metastatic tumor growth, particularly when compared to whole-body bioluminescence imaging (BLI) alone; (2) It is quantitative by nature and reflects viable tumor burden in a minimally invasive manner; (3) Through longitudinal collection of blood samples, treatment response can be monitored in real-time; and (4) Gluc bioluminescence provides a means to localize and assess metastatic colonization using BLI. By elucidating the progression of systemic metastases and therapeutic response in animal models, the blood-based Gluc assay is emerging as a valuable quantitative tool for novel drug development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical System Engineering and School of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Dan T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Euiheon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D033342:Copepoda / Q000201:enzymology*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014162:Transfection; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D008156:Luciferases