title: Expression of stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in circulating tumor cells of breast cancer patients.
abstract: Evaluation and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have become a major focus of translational cancer research. Presence of CTCs predicts worse clinical outcome in early and metastatic breast cancer. Whether all cells from the primary tumor have potential to disseminate and form subsequent metastasis remains unclear. As part of the metastatic cascade, tumor cells lose their cell-to-cell adhesion and undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in order to enter blood circulation. During EMT epithelial antigens are downregulated; thus, such tumor cells might elude classical epithelial marker-based detection. Several researchers postulated that some CTCs express stem cell-like phenotype; this might lead to chemoresistance and enhanced metastatic potential of such cells. In the present review, we discuss current data on EMT and stem cell markers in CTCs of breast cancer and their clinical significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6261-2104
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6734-9985
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meier-Stiegen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banys
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruckhaeberle
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fehm
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor