title: Circulating giant macrophages as a potential biomarker of solid tumors.
abstract: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) derived from primary tumors are believed to facilitate circulating tumor cell (CTC) seeding of distant metastases, but the mechanisms of these processes are poorly understood. Although many studies have focused on the migration of CTCs, less attention has been given to TAMs that, like CTCs, derive from tumor sites. Using precision microfilters under low-flow conditions, we isolated circulating cancer-associated macrophage-like cells (CAMLs) from the peripheral blood of patients with breast, pancreatic, or prostate cancer. CAMLs, which are not found in healthy individuals, were found to express epithelial, monocytic, and endothelial protein markers and were observed bound to CTCs in circulation. These data support the hypothesis that disseminated TAMs can be used as a biomarker of advanced disease and suggest that they have a participatory role in tumor cell migration.
authors.affiliation: Creatv MicroTech, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Stuart S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: R Katherine
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Alpaugh
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Raymond C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bergan
authors.forename: Irene M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ogden
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Catalona
authors.forename: Saranya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chumsri
authors.forename: Cha-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cristofanilli
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D048429:Cell Size; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008853:Microscopy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate
keywords: blood cell biomarkers; cancer biomarker; cancer metastasis; cancer screening; liquid biopsy