title: Identification of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Circulating Blood from Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer.
abstract: Metastasis is facilitated by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in the tumor microenvironment through mechanisms yet to be elucidated. In this study, we used a size-based microfilter technology developed by our group to examine whether circulating CAF identified by FAP and α-SMA co-expression (cCAF) could be distinguished in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic breast cancer. In a pilot study of patients with breast cancer, we detected the presence of cCAFs in 30/34 (88%) patients with metastatic disease (MET group) and in 3/13 (23%) patients with localized breast cancer (LOC group) with long-term disease-free survival. No cCAFs as defined were detected in healthy donors. Further, both cCAF and circulating tumor cells (CTC) were significantly greater in the MET group compared with the LOC group. Thus, the presence of cCAF was associated with clinical metastasis, suggesting that cCAF may complement CTC as a clinically relevant biomarker in metastatic breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.affiliation: Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Sanket H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Leah M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Machlin
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Ritesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parajuli
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Siddarth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rawal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida. Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cote
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida. Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. DEl-Ashry@med.miami.edu MLippman@med.miami.edu rdatar@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Marc E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lippman
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida. Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. DEl-Ashry@med.miami.edu MLippman@med.miami.edu rdatar@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Ram H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Datar
authors.affiliation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida. Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. DEl-Ashry@med.miami.edu MLippman@med.miami.edu rdatar@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Dorraya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: El-Ashry
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects