title: Advanced technologies for studying circulating tumor cells at the protein level.
abstract: Metastasis is the main cause of cancer death. As the tumor progresses, cells from the primary tumor site are shed into the bloodstream as circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Eventually, these cells colonize other organs and form distant metastases. It is therefore imperative that we gain a better understanding of the biological characteristics of CTCs for development of novel treatment modalities to minimize metastasis-associated cancer deaths. In recent years, rapid developments in technologies for the study of CTCs have taken place. We now have a variety of tools for the isolation and examination of CTCs which were not available before. This review introduces some commonly used protein markers in CTC investigations and summarizes a few advanced technologies which have been successfully applied for studying CTC biology at the protein level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China, Sir Y K Pao Centre for Cancer, Hong Kong Cancer Institute and Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Charles Ming Lok
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Thomas Chi Chuen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: Anthony Tak Cheung
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Brigette Buig Yue
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Nancy Bo Yin
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Tsui
authors.forename: Simon Siu Man
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Edwin Pun
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Lawrence Wing Chi
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Wing Shan
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Benjamin Yat Ming
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Sze Chuen Cesar
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic